Sensible people do not need anyone to point out those behind oil theft. After all, a militant warlord who benefits from lucrative pipeline protection contract largesse has already told the rest of Nigeria that he hates the term "oil theft". Rather, he suggests that Nigerians should view what is going on as "resource control". It is one of two things. Such a statement, more or less a confession of culpability, can only be made in a failed nation or one which the Presidency is behind the problem and the culprits. Take your pick.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201308261570.html?page=1

Nigeria: Crude Oil Theft - Doom Looms as Govt Loses N365 Billion in July
BY JIDE AJANI, 25 AUGUST 2013


N365billion is a lot of money. Worse, N365billion is a lot of money to lose in just one month. In any currency, in any clime, under any circumstance and for any people, that amount is huge. To put it in proper context, consider this: N365billion naira is the equivalent of not less than $2.25bilion.

The now contentious military assistance that the United States of America, USA, provides to the Egyptian military annually is the equivalent of $1.2billion.

This is an assistance that the Egyptian military eagerly awaits and uses to its fullest. Just recently, the State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, revealed that Washington still hasn't delivered some $585 million -- almost half the annual military aid package -- for fiscal year 2013, to the Egyptian military.

Pray, which country on Earth would have its Minister of State for Finance, announce glibly, that it recorded a revenue loss of N365billion in just one month? From President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to the Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, the Finance Minister and co-ordinating minister for the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Presidential Adviser on Amnesty, Kingsley Kuku, the lamentation song that the theft of Nigeria's crude oil is doing grave damage to the country's economy, has become all too familiar.

Whereas the military task force that has been bursting illegal refineries continue to do its work; Whereas there has been a number of successes recorded in the attempts to pick up some hoodlums who engage in pipeline vandalisation; Whereas there is an almost weekly bulletin heralding exploits of arrests and display of suspected pipeline vandals; Whereas the Minister of State for Defence, Madam Olusola Obada has been crying that European governments should come to the aid of Nigeria in the fight against crude oil theft by refusing to buy the stolen products; Whereas the International Oil Companies, IOCs, have also been lamenting the loss of crude;

Whereas it has been generally acknowledged that some powerful, very powerful Nigerians are behind the crude oil theft; Whereas government itself has not come out to provide the exact volume of crude exported and produced per day in its strictest sense; Whereas the actual number of barrels lost per day to oil thieves hover between 400,000 and 600,000; Whereas, whereas and whereas... ... Now, therefore, it should be admitted that either a paradigm of recklessness or irresponsibility or both has taken over in Nigeria. N365billion loss! Strange but true!

After three weeks of investigative work, Sunday Vanguard discovered that the only authority that can stop crude oil theft in Nigeria is the authority of anti-corruption. The discoveries went as far up to link friends of those in very senior positions in government and in the IOCs. Firstly, a government that is at pains to give an accurate figure regarding export volume can never be said to be sincere about stopping crude oil theft.

At best, what that tells the oil thieves is that a commodity the volume of which cannot be certified and verified, ab initio, would be difficult to calculate in terms of losses; and at worst create a free-for-all environment for the sustenance of the theft.

The regular stunts about burning and destroying illegal crude refineries are no more than submissions to tokenistic dramatization of a sense of duty because the real crude oil thieves continue to thrive with the active connivance of those making the hundreds of millions from the crime.

Does this administration know that there could be a correlation between a government collapse and crude theft because with such losses, it would find it difficult to run its business and the people could in turn rise against it?

Yet, had the theft been an activity being carried out in states controlled by the opposition, the hired guns who are quick to read-meanings, no matter how warped into anything, would have insisted that opposition parties want to sabotage government.

Mind you, the states where the theft is happening are controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, including President Jonathan's own state of Bayelsa. Had it been happening in Northern Nigeria, it would be interpreted as part of a bigger anti-South agenda. In the final analysis, it should be borne in mind that crude oil theft, in its very pure, undiluted form, also includes the misapplication of revenue accruing from its sale.

The following report is just the first part of the reports from the investigation. N365billion loss in the month of July! And there is no protest? And the people and government are going about their normal business as if nothing has happened? Really strange!

Stop this your obsession with desire for bad news and negative analysis as to justify your disapproval of GEJ's regime.

You have all the time to be balanced and objective in your analysis but have chosen to go extreme left thereby blaming some particular personalities where the entire system needs to be restructured.

The transparency of this government has helped you and me to know more about the system than what was obtainable in the past where every activity of the government is shaded in secrecy.

Gbawe:

The "major problem" is Jonathan.

Have you noticed that major problems, the ones holding Nigeria back, keeps getting worse under GEJ?

Ngwakwe: Stop this your obsession with desire for bad news and negative analysis as to justify your disapproval of GEJ's regime.

You have all the time to be balance and objective in your analysis but have chosen to go extreme left thereby blaming some particular personalities where the entire system needs to be restructured.

The transparency of this government has helped you and me to know more about the system than what was obtainable in the past where every activity of the government is shaded in secrecy.

Please stop quoting me. You are one of those who can never separate a clannish support of leaders with a need to admit the truth as is being played out before our very eyes. You guys act like children of David Koresh forever ready to defend what will be adjudged 100% wrong in almost all nations of the world while you deem blatant wrongdoers to be "misjudged" simply because of your clannish affiliations with them.

To be honest, you are not the sort of posters I wish to quote me or interact with me here. If any fan of GEJ will quote me, let it be those who can put up a logically sound argument that I lie against GEJ or malign him wrongly not your emotional kind who will only say "you hate GEJ" yet can never confront his proven errors ( deliberate cynical actions in my opinion) that have worsened things for Nigeria !!!!!

All you have in your arsenal is "you hate GEJ and cannot be balanced in your analysis" yet you have zero maturity or objectivity to see your own self-delusion and clannish mindset of denial that makes you comfortable viewing others as "seeking bad news" while you childishly ignore very bad development not seen anywhere else in the world.

In 99.9 % of the world's nations, perhaps with Nigeria being the exception due to dishonest and clannish individuals like you, it would be easy for the majority to admit that the Presidency stands indicted for its crazy decision to hand pipeline protection contracts to militants. This has now directly blown up in the face of Nigeria with our Country currently recording a level of oil theft threatening the well-being of Nigeria. Yet all you can do, over this very grave issue, is follow your desire for clannish pontification against others.

Where do I lie against GEJ? Did I write the many articles I present here or is it that people like you have become so ethnocentric in outlook, similar to the most prejudiced racists, you cannot even see the truth in front of you? In other nations of the world, GEJ would have been sacked for initiating a "solution" (pipeline protection contract to militants) that dramatically worsened the problem !!!! In fact most would posit that such an insane decision, akin to putting the Fox in charge of the Chicken coop, can only have been made by a 'solution provider' who doubles as the problem covertly !!!! That you see issues differently to the extent you can malign others who objectively and factually analyse the truth, even if they do not support the President, is the reason I think folks like you are really clannish 'saboteurs' against your nation. Prove, within the remit of logic and statistics, I lie against GEJ or malign him wrongly. Do that or spare me your emotional and childish talk.

Ngwakwe:
The transparency of this government has helped you and me to know more about the system than what was obtainable in the past where every activity of the government is shaded in secrecy.

Is it the transparency of the government that has helped us know about the massive oil theft that's happening on an industrial scale?

What's your take on the crude oil theft?

Also address the other issue he has raised with facts and not emotions.

This is what you should address rather than concern yourself about the type of news anyone chooses to focus on.

Jonathan is utterly unwilling to resolve the issue of oil theft cos he is neck deep in the criminal cartel. How else can one explain granting oil installations security contract to supposedly repentant criminals? Don't we have state controlled security agencies that could secure the nation's assets? Is granting such a contract not a direct indictment of the various state security apparatus over which he superintends?

Hoping things would change for the better under the current leadership of this country is like sowing grains in the desert of Ica in Peru and hoping for a harvest!

To make matters worse, he seems to lay the blame for oil theft at the doorsteps of the international community as evidenced in his response to a question put to him by Amanpour last year when he attended the world economic forum in Davos.
"The crude oil stolen is being refined abroad!" " We are calling on the international community ....bla bla bla...".

And lastly, to compound an already messy situation which seems beyond redemption, he seeks to perpetuate himself in office beyond 2015, plus the way he is going about it leaves such bitter taste in the mouth!
Do away with you we shall.




God bless Nigeria.

Gbawe:

In 99.9 % of the world's nations, perhaps with Nigeria being the exception due to dishonest and clannish individuals like you, it would be easy for the majority to admit that the Presidency stands indicted for its crazy decision to hand pipeline protection contracts to militants. This has now directly blown up in the face of Nigeria with our Country currently recording a level of oil theft threatening the well-being of Nigeria. Yet all you can do, over this very grave issue, is follow your desire for clannish pontification against others.

Fact.

omenka: Jonathan is utterly unwilling to resolve the issue of oil theft cos he is neck deep in the criminal cartel. How else can one explain granting oil installations security contract to supposedly repentant criminals? Don't we have state controlled security agencies that could secure the nation's assets? Is granting such a contract not a direct indictment of the various state security apparatus over which he superintends?

Hoping things would change for the better under the current leadership of this country is like sowing grains in the desert of Ica in Peru and hoping for a harvest!
.

Another fact.

Gbawe: Sensible people do not need anyone to point out those behind oil theft. After all, a militant warlord who benefits from lucrative pipeline protection contract largesse has already told the rest of Nigeria that he hates the term "oil theft". Rather, he suggests that Nigerians should view what is going on as "resource control". It is one of two things. Such a statement, more or less a confession of culpability, can only be made in a failed nation or one which the Presidency is behind the problem and the culprits. Take your pick.

It is indeed very very sad.

Gbawe:


Where do I lie against GEJ? Did I write the many articles I present here or is it that people like you have become so ethnocentric in outlook, similar to the most prejudiced racists, you cannot even see the truth in front of you? In other nations of the world, GEJ would have been sacked for initiating a "solution" (pipeline protection contract to militants) that dramatically worsened the problem !!!! In fact most would posit that such an insane decision, akin to putting the Fox in charge of the Chicken coop, can only have been made by a 'solution provider' who doubles as the problem covertly !!!! That you see issues differently to the extent you can malign others who objectively and factually analyse the truth, even if they do not support the President, is the reason I think folks like you are really clannish 'saboteurs' against your nation. Prove, within the remit of logic and statistics, I lie against GEJ or malign him wrongly. Do that or spare me your emotional and childish talk.

Be rest assured that he won't pick up the challenge to tackle you with facts.

They usually befuddle serious issues with allegations of tribalism. The other approach is to abuse or insult.