Jonathan moves to tighten noose on crude oil thieves

President Goodluck Jonathan has begun moves aimed at ending the menaceof crude oil theft in the country.

The President, as a first step towards finding a lasting solution to the problem, presided over a meeting of oil-producing states and major stakeholders in the sector on Thursday evening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was attended by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezanni Alison-Madueke; Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN); Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama and chief executives of major oil companies, among others.

At the end of the meeting, Alison-Madueke told State House correspondents that the President summoned the meeting because of the embarrassing dimension the theft took in the last few months.

She said the situation had become critical and was affecting the nation’s excess crude and the revenues accruing to the Federation Account from the proceeds of oil output.