‘Oil theft: NASS should amend Oil Pipeline Act 1956’

Lawyer to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, the Niger Delta activist, Emmanuel Jakpa, says there is an urgent need for the National Assembly to amend the Oil Pipeline Act of 1956 (as amended).

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune at the point of tapped 48-inch Shell Crude Oil Export Trunkline at Ogulagha in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Jakpa said the law which permits crude oil licence holders to self-regulate which usually makes it easy for them to blame third party interference in a case of oil pipeline vandalism is outdated.

He said that the owner of the crude oil export trunkline was aware abinitio that its facility had been compromised but refused to take action.

“In the past it seems we had a legal system where the licence holders were self-regulating, where it was always easy to say someone tapped their lines. Obviously it is becoming clear that self-regulation must give way to better regulation,” the lawyer said.

He called on the legislature to amend the Act to reflect the sophistication of the modern times in the area of technological advancements in the oil and gas sector.

“First and foremost, the legislature needs to wake up and look at our laws. The oil pipeline act was enacted in 1956. It was only amended in 1969.

“The legislature needs to look at the entire document because when this law was made, we probably do not have more 5000 or 6000 kilometres of pipelines.

“Now we have more than 10 times if not 100 times today. So, a whole lot has happened. The economic situation then and now is not the same.

“The level of technical proficiency and awareness is no longer the same. Therefore, the duty that licence holders should bear cannot remain the same.

“The vigilance this country needs to keep over our assets cannot remain the same.

“So, there is need to start looking at our laws and improving them and ensure that the vast majority of Nigerians can continue to benefit from the riches of this country and not a privileged few,” he noted.

Speaking on the tapped 48 inches Shell Crude Oil Export Trunkline which was discovered by operatives of the Tantita Security Services Nig Ltd (TSSNL) owned by Tompolo, which made headlines last weekend, Mr Jakpa posited that such magnitude of sophistication in tapping the trunkline by thieves could only have been executed by the high and mighty.

 

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