A major crisis loomed in the nation’s oil and gas industry yesterday as senior workers threatened to withdraw from the Niger Delta if the current spate of killings in the region continues.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) which issued the threat also charged the Federal Government to summon enough political will to tackle increasing violence in the region.
Speaking in the same vein, Rivers State government urged the security agencies to address illegal oil bunkering and the activities of cult and militant gangs in the state.
However in Port Harcourt, the state capital, security was beefed up as operatives of the Joint Military Task Force were seen patrolling the major streets.
PENGASSAN in a statement signed by Peter Esele and Bayo Olowoshile its president and general secretary respectively said: “If the restiveness and consequent harassment and violence on workers in the oil and gas industry persist, we shall not hesitate to withdraw our members in the various oil and gas companies operating in the region.”
The union called for sanctions against traditional rulers, local government chairmen and governors in whose communities militants’ activities thrive.
Meanwhile, soldiers are patrolling the streets in Port Harcourt and its environ following seven days of shooting by unidentified gun men suspected to be cultists.
Heavy presence of soldiers was notice in flashpoint in the city such as Diobu, Town area, the new Government House Gate, UTC junction, Garrison junction, and other strategic places in the state capital such as oil installations and facilities.
The soldiers took over the patrolling of the state capital Sunday morning and ease the growing tension among Port Harcourt residents some of whom have fled the state capital.
At Diobu area, people passing by were asked to lift up their hands as a sign of surrender while suspicious characters were frisked by the soldiers.
Vehicles driving through strategic places where the soldiers mount a stop and search road blocks were screened and where the soldiers have doubt, the occupants are asked to come down for a body search and their vehicles scrutinized for arms.
The soldiers who are polite and civil do not tolerate arguments or respect status as no vehicle is spare the search.
The presence of the soldiers have restored a bit of assurance as residents of the city who have remained indoors for days came out and visit friends and other places of interest.
Daily Champion gathered that most of the bad boys in the Diobu area including cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers and other anti-social elements have moved from the area to safe places for fear of being arrested by the soldiers.
When contacted, the spokesman for the 2nd Amphibious Brigade and the Joint Task Force [JTF] Major Sagir Musa told our correspondent on phone that the soldiers were posted to strategic places, oil installations and other vulnerable places in the city.
Musa said the reason for the heavy presence of soldiers on the streets of Port Harcourt and its environment is to restore normalcy, law and order in Rivers State .
According to him, the soldiers were on the street to avert a likely breakdown of law and order and appealed to law-abiding citizens to go about their business without fear.
Musa appealed to residents of the city not to panic at the presence of soldiers but to cooperate with the various security agencies and provide useful and reliable information on the plans, movement and hiding places of the gunmen.
As at the time of writing this report about 6.30 pm there were gunshots from the Macoba Beach behind Stella Maris Secondary School , Port Harcourt in the Town area.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Emma Okah, in an interview with newsmen in Lagos at the weekend said that the unchecked activities of illegal oil bunkering was the major factor fueling violence in the state. He said that the crisis is basically the result of territorial tussle between militants and cult gangs in the state, over who control the lucrative illegal oil bunkering business.
“We have from our investigation found out that illegal oil bunkers is the major problem fueling the violence. We have told the federal government to stop the activities of illegal oil bunkering because it is those that buy oil illegally from these bunkers that supplies the cult gangs and militants sophisticated weapons, which most often, our security agencies are unable to match, I mean in terms of their firepower. If the illegal oil bunkering is addressed, it will drastically reduce militancy in the region”, he said.