The House of Representatives ad hoc committee set up to investigate crude oil theft and loss of revenue from gas has vowed to unveil identities of those behind oil theft in the country.
Kabiru Rurum, chairman of the committee, said ahead of its investigative hearing slated for today that the oil sector remained the major source of revenue for the country, and the House was determined that the investigation would not be like the previous ones.
He said oil and gas were the major areas where the country gets its resources but the problem of oil theft has continued to go from bad to worse on a daily basis.
“The purpose of the committee is to reveal who and who are the architects of what is going on in the area of crude oil theft.”
He said apportioning blame to security agencies would not suffice, adding that stakeholders in the oil sectors including Chevron, Shell, communities among others should be held responsible.
“We need to identify the culprits, this is the purpose of the investigation, everybody including critical stakeholders should come and tell us their side of the story.
He said the committee had invited the Nigerian Navy as the custodian of the nation’s water, Airforce, Civil Defence, Police Intelligence Agency among others.
According to him, the challenges confronting the oil sector and the probable solution will be discussed
He said the Norwegian Embassy which had earlier promised Nigeria to assist in three areas to curtail oil theft had been invited to proffer solution. He said its recommendation would be firm because the government knew that there were serious challenges in the sector, adding that it would work in synergy with the National Security Adviser. Philip Agbese, APC lawmaker from Benue State, had earlier moved a motion on the need to investigate crude oil theft and loss of revenue accrued from the oil and gas sector in Nigeria
The House, however, constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the issues and ensured that everyone complicit in the theft was brought to book.