SEND MILITARY CHIEFS TO NIGER DELTA: PENGASSAN TELLS TINUBU

Oil workers, represented by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the country’s military chiefs to move to the Niger Delta in order to combat oil theft.
Comrade Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN, made the plea while speaking on behalf of the oil workers at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, if the matter of oil theft was handled, Nigeria’s crude oil production might increase by 30%, resulting in economic stability.

Osifo stated that while the government’s efforts to diversify the economy are commendable, it cannot be accomplished quickly, and greater emphasis should be paid to oil production in the Niger Delta region, as the country will benefit from it.

Osifo said: “We have tried to let government understand that they need to pay more attention to what’s happening in the Niger Delta. We’re talking about solid minerals they are quite good, we are talking about diversification they are quite good but they cannot come overnight. The easiest solution and what can come readily overnight is actually incremental production of crude oil today.

“If all is done the right way we could increase our crude oil production by nothing less than 30%. When this is done it’s going to give us more forex, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) could have much more financial muscles to be able to defend our naira. We implore President Tinubu to ask his commanders to relocate to Niger Delta and ensure that this menace of crude oil theft is put to a halt.

“If you put it to a halt you will be able to generate more revenue and at the end of the day, the Nigerian state will be better for it.”