The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has charged troops of the Nigerian Army, Air Force and Navy to ensure the improvement of crude oil production from 1.35 million barrels per day (bpd) to 2.2 million barrels, before the end of December 2024.
This came as the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, called for more synergy from security operatives and other stakeholders to sustain the win against oil theft in the state.
Speaking during the inauguration of members of the Defence Joint Monitoring Team at the 6 Division, Nigerian Army Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, Musa clarified that the essence of the taskforce was to ensure the security and production of crude oil within the Niger Delta.
He urged the team to liaise with all security agencies and critical stakeholders in bringing oil bunkering and related crimes to a standstill in the Niger Delta region.
Musa further explained that although the inaugurated team had already resumed operations in the Niger Delta, they were only being officially inaugurated to continue carrying out their assignments.
He said: “For the past weeks, we have been working to improve security and production of crude oil within the oil producing areas.
“Today’s inauguration is to officially announce them to the public, but they have already started working for weeks now, and the essence is for them to see how they can assist in improving the performance of all the security agencies, all the stakeholders.”
The CDS warned troops to be careful of saboteurs of the country’s assets, adding that any of them found wanting would be dealt with decisively.
“You are aware of the mandate of Mr. President, you must secure the oil producing areas; you must secure our oil facilities; you must ensure that the oil companies are able to produce maximally with a target of 2.2 million barrels per day between now and December, 2024.
“We want to encourage them not to support anyone out there that wants to sabotage these efforts, we are going to be very decisive about it and anyone caught would be prosecuted.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Team, Major General JAL Jimoh, assured that his team would leave no stone unturned in engendering improved daily production of crude and surpassing the benchmark.
Meanwhile, Fubara, has assured the collaboration of the Rivers State Government with the federal government to curb the menace of illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalisation in order to increase oil production in the country.
Fubara, disclosed this while addressing Musa and his team who paid a courtesy visit to the Governor at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.
The governor explained that a robust relationship and partnership already existed between the State government and Service Commanders in Rivers, which he said has positively paid off in the fight against pipeline vandalisation and oil theft.
He said saboteurs not only attempt to disrupt the course of delivery of critical projects and good governance but extended it to create disaffection within the thriving business climate because they do not want to see anything good reckoned with his administration.
Fubara, stated that he was not deterred by those acts because there was a stronger determination to rewrite the story and ensure that Rivers people get the best while the national economy does not suffer by what happens in the State.
The governor restated his resolve to ensure that everything goes on well by providing the needed State government’s support that will contribute to increasing crude oil production.
In his speech at the Government House, Musa, said his visit was to assess the level of implementation of their directives towards achieving the mandate of President Bola Tinubu in securing the oil producing areas, ensure that crude oil production increases.
On the inauguration of the two committees, the Defence Joint Monitoring Team and the Defence Joint Intelligence Infusion Centre – Musa said the Infusion Centre was saddled with a responsibility to harmonise all the intelligence agencies together, gather all the information, whether it deals with oil production or other acts of criminality that will help in taking direct action to ensure that there is peace.
The Chief of Defence Staff also expressed appreciation to Fubara for creating an enabling environment with his sterling leadership style. He noted that there was zero rancour which has engendered peace and security as seen in Rivers State.