Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, has accused men of the Nigerian Army in the State of being neck-deep in the illegal oil theft business.
According to him, the personnel of the Nigerian Army in the State are frustrating the efforts of his administration to fight oil theft.
Speaking to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Taoreed Lagbaja, at the Government House, Port Harcourt when he received him on Friday, Fubara alleged that, to cover up for their illegal oil theft business, men of the Nigerian Army in the state have plotted with some oil companies to frustrate the ongoing road construction in Ogba/Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area by attacking the contractors.
While affirming his government is doing all in its power to fight oil bunkering, he called for synergy to fight the compromised officers who are frustrating his administration’s effort to tackle oil theft in the State.
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“One special problem that we have here is the issue of illegal oil bunkering. In some parts of the State, in Ahoada East and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, most of the bunkering activities, we believe, are subsisting because there is this cooperation between the Army and top oil companies.
“I’m saying this because there is this road we are constructing somewhere in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, and each time the contractor approaches this particular company and pleads that they should allow them to go ahead with the job, the military will always come and attack our contractor,” he said.
Fubara who explained how he had tried to resolve the problem without success because of the interest the officers have in the illegal business, urged the Chief of Army Staff to call his men to order.
“Carrying out some assignments with any company does not give any person powers to decide how things should be done for the State. Look into the matter,” the governor added.
