JULY 8TH (URHOBOTODAY) The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Bayelsa State chapter has expressed worry over the state Governor, Seriake Dickson’s position on arms stock pile by oil thieves in the Niger Delta, saying such grave allegation should be investigated immediately as it is capable of sending wrong signals to the world.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Chief Nengi James, the CLO noted that the statement allegedly credited to the governor over the alleged causes of rising cases of crude oil theft and illegal bunkering along the creeks and the waterways of the Niger Delta region was a thing of concern and called for concerted effort to be made to address the issue.
“While the CLO is bothered about the level of crude oil theft and the incidence of illegal oil bunkering in the region, the position attributed to the state governor is a direct indictment on the on-going amnesty programme, the security actions of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in various Niger Delta communities, the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration decision to award multi-million dollars pipeline protection job to ex-militant leaders and his administration’s claim on new security policy to attract foreign investors to the state,” the group stated.
The CLO advised that the governor should avoid acts of “double speak” and sending wrong signals to would-be investors interested in coming to the state not to be disillusioned.
“The governor should be more proactive to identify the so called militants and work with the security agencies including the JTF to identify those involved in the crude oil theft and ensure they face the legal processes.
“The media report credited to the state governor at a time when the federal and state governments are trying to convince the foreign nations about the peace and safety existing in the region for investment opportunities would create a new sense of insecurity in the region.
“It is more worrisome that the credited claims are coming from the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the state who has done much in the area of restoring the confidence of investors and has played host to high profile national and international visitors in the state. The latest credited position of the governor may not go unnoticed by the international communities.
“The alleged stock-piling of arms by militants would not promote the region but further affirm the misplaced the fears of insecurity in the region. The issue of crude oil theft is an organised crime within and outside the region.
“The search light of the security agencies should be more focussed and view the activities of politicians in Abuja and other states of the region. The security agencies should know that the purported militants cannot spend their funds and buy vessels for the illicit acts. Politicians use the so called militants for such gains,” the statement added.
Source: THISDAY