Loss of trillions to oil theft: Government must turn to block leakage channels

The subject of the existence of exploitable leakages in the working operations of the systemic configuration of sectors in Nigeria as a subject of concern, has remained a sapping source of resources to the detriment of the Nigerian State as an entity and the people it serves. The cheat suffered by the populace over the tendencies of individuals who exploit such lacuna for personal aggrandizement can be summarised in the concept of a prevailing system exploited to the benefit a few to the disadvantaged of many. Hence, the gaps have been left so porous that resources which should significantly be channeled to drive productive projects for even development have over the years found escape route into private pockets. The fate suffered by the Nigerian State, is such that it is being handicapped to operate at the height of efficiency to ensure even development and established order for appreciable atmosphere for adorable standards of living.

It is known that the concept of corruption in Nigeria has been a reoccurring subject which had distorted the image of the Country. In the perceptional definitions of the character of the Nigerian State as an entity, it cannot be disputed that it is relatively hard to describe the State without the mention of corruption, when consideration is given to the status of development. This is not far fetched from the fact that one of the grounded factors which have been nailed even among international evaluators as an established drawback to development in the Country, is the menace of corruption.

However, it is pertinent to note that corruption has become endemic and systemic in the Country, and to that effect debilitating to the fabrics of the posture of the Nigerian State. From within and outside public institutions, the menace has become a rot, a norm amidst the people.  The concept itself finds expression and is given breath of potency by the existence of structural defects subsisting in the working systems of the institutional configuration of virtually all sectors in the Country. Hence, one major perspective to the preponderance of the menace in the Country, could be nailed to the fact that the degree of systemic deficiencies in the Country would be observed to be so deep-seated than what obtains in saner climes where refined patterns of working systems limit, to the bearest minimum, such possibilities. Hence, the preponderance of corruption in the Country could be explained to be a function of deep-seated system decay for exploitable lacuna giving expression to permissible systemic theft and siphoning of commonwealth resources, of whatsoever value and kind.

One sector which over the years has been suffering from the brunt of systemic leakages with colossal losses to the Nigerian State and, at the receiving end, the populace is the oil and gas sector.  On Monday, Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, had disclosed that Nigeria recorded an estimated loss of 4.5 trillion to theft in four years, (2015 – 2018) while also recording 4,919 oil spills between 2015 to March 2021. The Minister who disclosed this at a Town Hall meeting in Abuja, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture, on protecting oil and gas infrastructure was quoted: “According to the National Oil Spill Detection Agency (NOSDRA) data, the total number of oil spills recorded from 2015 to March 2021 is 4,919, the number of oil spills cost by collation is 308. The operational maintenance is 106, while sabotage is 3,628 and yet to be determined 70, giving the total number of oil spills on the environment to 235,206 barrels of oil. This is very colossal to the environment. Nigeria also lost approximately 4.75 trillion on oil activities in the four years between 2015 and 2018, as estimated by the Nigeria Natural Resources Charter.Several statistics have emphasised Nigeria as the most notorious country in the world for oil spills, loosing roughly 400,000 barrels per day. According to the Minister, the effects of the destruction of oil and gas facilities had caused huge economic losses from pipelines to plant shut downs, as well as loss of biodiversity, habitat and ecological damage.

“Now aside the environmental effect, which is the major concern of the ministry of environment, is in the loss of revenue,” he said.

The necessity for the Government to rise to the task of system overhauling is paramount. It is indisputable that the architectures of the working systems of sectors in the Country have been so porous that exploiting lacunas has continued to subject the Nigerian State and its populace to preventable losses. The need to institute metamorphic parameters to remodel the configuration of the operating patterns of sectors in the Country is pertinent. This is more demanding for the oil sector which has been driven by a system ridden with deficiencies which have left exploitable gaps of sapping resources for private aggrandizement and selfish inclinations through mischievous channels. The significance of the necessity becomes more definitive when perception is given to the effects such losses inflict on the Country with the present financial limitations the Government is suffering from. When analytical perusal is given to the prevailing limitations pari parsu the capital deficits required to drive development in the Country, it would only be rational for firm actions to be galvanised towards addressing all the formations of leakages in the system.

It is therefore instructive and more rational for the Government as it grapples with financial constrains drawing from shortfalls from revenue accruals, to channel efforts towards instituting reformative patterns to block and secure leaking channels through which commonwealth resources are sapped and exploited against the interest of the Nigerian state and the populace who are painfully grappling with the realities of harsh conditions.