President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), General Christopher Musa to end crude oil theft and vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
Mele Kyari, Group Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPCL), disclosed this in a statement at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, the issue of oil theft and vandalism have become a national issue hindering national production.
“The president has directed the CDS to take control of the crisis we are having in the Niger Delta operational area. Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have become a national issue, the president has directed the CDS to contend this within the shortest possible time so that we can restore national production to the level the president and the country is expecting.
“ To do this, he needs the coordination and cooperation of all armed forces, the police, the DIA, the DSS among others. It is the survival of our country that is at stake today. Without restoring oil and gas production, we cannot have the economic stability that we desire. The president is clearly focused on this to deliver value to our country. It is impossible to do this without settling the crisis around our operational areas,” he said.