The Presidential Amnesty Programme has raised the alarm over the activities of illegal crude oil refineries in the Niger-Delta region, describing it as a dangerous trend.
The national coordinator of PAP, Colonel Millard Dikio (retd.), made this warning known during the 2nd edition of the stakeholders’ engagement on the integration of modular/artisanal refinery operations in the oil and gas sector in Abuja.
According to PAP, domestic refining of crude oil by artisans in host communities had grave health and environmental implications for the country.
Earlier, Federal Government had also said that Nigeria lost 53 million barrels of oil worth over $2 billion in the past due to informal crude oil refineries.
Dikio also encouraged all stakeholders to set aside their differences and support efforts to save not only the environment, but also the country’s economy.
He warned that, “things can get worse” in Nigeria, if urgent and systematic steps are not taken to contain the effects of informal crude oil refining.
He said, “We cannot seek to make money by all means. We cannot destroy our environment, because we want to make it.
“There are problems with artisanal refining. These activities have serious health and environmental implications, but what is the way forward? We all need to put our heads and hands together to so solve these problems.”