Falana: FG Ridiculing Itself by Insinuating It Can’t Stop Smuggling of Petrol Across Borders

•Fuel scarcity protest hits FCT

Emmanuel Addeh and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Human Rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday argued that the federal government was ridiculing itself by suggesting that it cannot halt the illegal smuggling of petroleum products across the borders.

He was reacting to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, who was alleged to have highlighted this at the 2024 Energy and Labour Summit in Abuja.

He was said to have explained that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) lacks the funds necessary to rebuild the nation’s aging pipelines, which contributes to the problem.

Lokpobiri  was further quoted to have pointed out that the old, corroded pipelines, some of which date back to the 1960s and 1970s, are easily vandalised, facilitating the illegal transport of fuel.

The minister, according to Falana  also said that if the NNPC imports petrol and sells to marketers at perhaps N600 or below, there’s no way that smuggling can stop and that the situation was exacerbated by security agents at the borders who are complicit in the smuggling activities.

Falana said in a statement: “Although the minister was honest to indict the federal government in the smuggling of petrol which he blamed on lack of funds necessary to rebuild the nation’s aging pipelines and security agents at the borders who are complicit in the smuggling activities, the reason adduced for smuggling are totally misleading.

“The minister cannot be unaware of the deliberate encouragement of smuggling of PMS by the federal government and the deliberate sabotage of the national economy by the NNPC,” he said.

In 2010, Falana said the federal government and  a private company, TPMS, operated the policy on the basis of a PPP arrangement, noting that even though the system dealt a heavy blow to smuggling of petrol and oil theft, the arrangement was terminated in 2011.

“ Since then, all efforts to restore the Cargo Trafficking Note have been frustrated. However, on August 9, 2018, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the installation of technology monitoring schemes and structures under the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) for N17 billion.

“The then Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, disclosed  that the deployment of the automated fuel system management and censor network would ensure 100 per cent tracking and monitoring of petroleum products as the system would enable Nigerians to know  how much PMS is consumed in Nigeria; volumes of products moved out illegally and the whole impact on Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

“But the automated fuel system management was never installed, while the contract sum of N17 billion was stolen,” he added.

On July 13, 2024, Falana said the FEC announced the award of a $21 million contract for the metering of 187 crude oil flow stations in Nigeria, to properly account for the country’s production and exports.

He added that it was also disclosed that the council awarded another contract for the deployment of software that would enable the government to monitor the movement of Nigeria’s crude from the point of loading of every cargo in Nigeria up to the point of the cargo’s destination.

“Having awarded contracts for the metering of 187 crude oil flow stations in Nigeria complemented with advanced cargo tracking technology, a software for tracking and monitoring of petroleum products including PMS, the Federal Government cannot turn round to say that oil theft and smuggling of petrol out of Nigeria to neighbouring countries will continue unabated to the detriment of the national economy.

“Apart from the acquisition of the software to stop the smuggling of petroleum products from Nigeria, the NNPC had embraced the suggestion to establish mega stations in the neighbouring countries. Both policies were, however, discarded by the NNPC in order to boost the smuggling of PMS from Nigeria,” he stated.

In view of the foregoing, Falana said that Lokpobiri should be advised to stop exposing Nigeria to ridicule by saying that the federal government lacks the capacity to curb the nefarious activities of smugglers.

“ However, the federal government should come out clean if it has added to the monumental suffering of the Nigerian people by increasing the price of PMS. After all, from less than N700 in July, a litre of petrol has since risen gradually to above N1,000 in most filling stations since the beginning of August. The upward trend of the price of PMS has continued with no successful attempt to stop it as of today,” Falana , who is the  Chair, Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB),  stated.

Meanwhile, there was a protest yesterday in Abuja over the escalating fuel scarcity across the country.

The demonstration which held at Unity Fountain, Shehu Shagari Way, was convened by the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations.

The protesters carried different banners condemning the scarcity, which they said was inflicting untold hardship on the citizens.

They also called for the unconditional dismissal of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari.

The NNPC boss had recently admitted that its substantial indebtedness to marketers was responsible for the product to be under supplied in filling stations and leading to its acute shortage.

Some of the banners carried by the protesters read:  “We want accountability in the affairs of NNPCL”, “We are tired of fuel scarcity and stories on why refineries are not working” and  “No direction under Kyari.”

The convener, Aminu Abbas, decried the stewardship of the NNPC GMD as dismal and wondered why in spite of abundance of crude oil in the country, Nigerians should continue to suffer acute petrol scarcity.

He described the raging fuel scarcity as not just a mere inconvenience, but a calculated perpetuation of suffering.

“Under Mr Kyari’s leadership, the situation has gone from bad to worse, with no end in sight. What has he done to alleviate this crisis? It is clear he seems intent on maintaining a status quo that benefits only a select few while the masses suffer.

“To President Bola Tinubu and all those in positions of power, we say the time to act is now. Show us that you stand with the people, not those who profit from our misery.

“Mr Kyari must be shown the way out, and the NNPC must be reformed to serve the interests of all Nigerians. We will not be silenced. Why do we, the people, have to endure endless queues, inflated prices, and the daily uncertainty of whether we can fuel our vehicles or power our homes?

“The answer lies in the gross incompetence and mismanagement that have become the hallmarks of Kyari’s leadership,” he said.