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| Crude Oil Theft |
President
Goodluck Jonathan on Monday urged the Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (EITI) to do more to support efforts by the Federal Government to
stop the exportation of stolen crude oil from Nigeria.
The
president made the request when the Chairperson of EITI, Ms. Claire Short, paid
him a visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He
called on EITI to join the Federal Government in working to ensure that
refineries that received stolen crude oil from Nigeria were identified and
punished.
``The efforts
of EITI in criminalising `blood diamonds’ from African mines have helped in
curtailing that illegal business.
``I urge
you to also support Nigeria as we confront the forces stealing Nigerian crude
oil.
``The
theft of crude oil from Nigeria involves the collusion of foreigners and the
stolen crude is refined abroad.
``EITI
can use its mechanisms to help us track down the thieves and those who receive
the stolen crude oil,” he said.
News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the president observed that Africa was losing a
lot through leakages in the mining and extractive industry.
He urged
Short and her colleagues at EITI to help to end the exploitation of Africans
and African nations by multinational companies engaged in the extraction of the
continent’s immense natural resources.
The
president said that an expanded inter-ministerial committee would be
inaugurated next week to ensure greater synergy in NEITI’s investigations.
He said
that the committee would also facilitate the implementation of NEITI's recommendations
for greater probity in Nigeria’s oil industry.
Jonathan
said that the inauguration of the committee was in line with the Federal
Government’s commitment to giving the NEITI all necessary support and freedom
to discharge its duties,
The
president commended EITI’s efforts at discouraging exploitation and corruption
in extractive industries across the world.
He
assured Short and her team that Nigeria would continue to strive for even
greater openness and transparency in its oil and mining sectors.
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