YENAGOA, Nigeria (ChatnewsTV) — Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has reaffirmed the state’s commitment to working with the Defence Headquarters Joint Monitoring Team to combat crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region. The governor expressed optimism that collaboration between security agencies and stakeholders in the oil industry would curb the illegal activities and boost production.
Speaking on Monday during a courtesy visit by the Joint Monitoring Team, led by Major General Jamil Jimoh, to Government House in Yenagoa, Diri highlighted the military’s shift in stance on oil theft. “Before now, there have been accusations that the military and other security agencies were involved in oil theft,” Diri said. “But it is the military that is now taking the lead among other security agencies.”
Governor Diri acknowledged the positive impact of security agencies working together and added that Bayelsa had already established local government committees and launched public awareness campaigns to address crude oil theft and environmental pollution.
He emphasized that improved oil production would lead to increased revenue from the 13% derivation fund, but criticized the current federal system, where states rely on Abuja for revenue distribution. “It is an anomaly for federating states to go cap in hand to Abuja monthly to share revenue,” Diri said, calling for “true federalism” where states could manage their resources and pay taxes to the federal government.
Diri also urged oil companies to replace aging equipment to reduce failures, which are often blamed on sabotage.
Major General Jimoh, leader of the Joint Monitoring Team, requested the state government’s continued support in their efforts to secure oil facilities and improve production in the region. He commended Governor Diri for his development efforts and actions to curb oil theft.
The governor assured the military of the state’s full cooperation, stating, “We will support you and work with you to ensure that oil production is shored up and our environment is not polluted the way it is.”
The team’s visit underscores the importance of security in safeguarding Nigeria’s oil assets, which have been targeted by oil thieves for years, significantly impacting production and revenues.
