From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
President Bola Tinubu has been urged to identify major oil barons, who have been enticing innocent people into bunkering, go after them, and punish them, instead of bombing and killing poor bunkerers through air raids of oil fields.
The Lagos State gubernatorial candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2019, Chief Owolabi Salis, gave the advice during a chat with journalists.
The Federal Government had announced that it would commence air raids and bombing of criminals that engage in bunkering and vandalisation of petroleum pipelines across Nigeria.
According to Salis, the poor bunkerers are being used for oil thefts, and it is not their fault due to the government’s failure, urging FederalGovernment to target one traditional ruler, high government official, top military brass, or diplomat involved in bunkering, and the game would stop immediately.
Salis, who is popularly known as ‘Oba Mekunnu’ (the king of the underprivileged), emphasised that the primary purpose of the government is to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in basic needs like food, medical, and housing.
He explained that the objective is carried out in comparative societies, but past governments in Nigeria had failed in this primary objective, advising the government to identify the real barons, bring them to trial, and punish them appropriately.
He warned poor Nigerians to desist from allowing themselves to be lured into the oil theft business by oil barons to prevent unwarranted deaths.
Salis stated that the real bunkerers are in government, military, traditional rulers, and others, who use poor people to do their dirty work.
He further warned that the government would bomb anyone in the field of crime without consequences, as nobody would open a criminal file for them. He also urged Nigerians to stay away from bunkering or risk being bombed.
Salis concluded that the new approach to stop bunkering is unfair to the poor, and if Nigeria’s economy were good, no poor person would be involved in bunkering.
Salis said: “These ignorant poor people are forced into the business as they are incapacitated. These are people who can not afford to feed, accommodate or care for themselves and their families. The real bunkerers are in government, military, traditional rulers, and others. They used the poor.
“President Tinubu’s government must identify the real barons, bring them to trial, and mete out whatever punishment stipulated for such crimes to them. This will end the oil thief business in Nigeria.”
However, Salis stated that killing by bombing the people vandalising and scooping the fuel would not stop or reduce the menace as long as the oil barons are secure, as they never come to the scene of the crime.
“My strong advice to Nigerians is to stay clear of bunkering. Otherwise, the government will bomb you without any consequences because nobody will open any criminal file for you.
“People doing the job are the poor. The real barons never come to the field. These poor people are forced into the business due to poverty. These are the people who can not afford to pay their bills. Leave bunkering or risk being bombed,” Salis warned the poor.