There is no doubt the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) led administration is on a uphill mission against militants who are taking down oil installations in the oil rich South-south. Production and sales volume of crude production has dived to it’s abysmal low, income from sales stalled, with resounding negative implication on the economy.
With the global oil price crash, glut, escalating Dollar strength against the Naira and yawning reality of plundered economy, PMB and his lieutenants in the business of managing a challenged economy is indeed a matter that should attract pity. Sadly, some decisions taken by these lieutenants are puerile and without direction. Going to Niger Republic to construct 1000 km pipeline to Kaduna might just appear a bit too extreme a measure regardless of the considerations. Whoever marketed that idea may have done it only to secure interests based mainly on self rather than national growth and developmental imperatives.
If the rationale behind the planned construction of 1000km pipeline from Agadem in Niger Republic to Kaduna refinery is premised on the constant pipeline blow ups in the Niger Delta, one would want to forgive the shallow thought around the despicable idea. Our government should be seen scheming possible ways to marshal out plans to overcome uprising within or about its territorial boundaries.
It is however interesting to note that the Niger Delta blow ups is not even the remote reason for the idea. According to Ndu Nghamaduon, Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division; “Due to challenges with the aged refinery and crude oil pipelines that had been breached severally, the operations of the refinery has been epileptic. This, we are determined to resolve through various intervention methods including evaluation of alternative crude oil supply from Niger Republic through building of a pipelines of over 1, 000 kilometers from Agadem to Kaduna.“
The wisdom behind connecting crude from Niger Republic is still fussy and for now makes no sense to me. Lets assume government is going to trade refined petroleum products for their crude and no cash exchange involved, how long will that kind of agreement last? Has anyone thought of the amount of money the project will gulp in this hard time or what that kind of money will do in strengthening the oil sector?
If vandalization and age induced rot has affected the pipelines carrying crude form Escravos- Warri to Kaduna, wouldn’t it be cheaper to fix the pipelines, get security operatives, acquire surveillance drones to secure a hitch free flow of crude in terms of retaining national asset, product ownership than the planned perpetual importation? I am very sure other pipeline routes across the country are in need of repairs, is FG going to construct new lines from contiguous countries producing crude? About the continuous bombing of oil installations in the Niger Delta, I have opined on several occasions that it is the hand work of past corrupt Nigerians either to distract the present administration or force them to abandon the on going fight against corruption. My take however is that it is time for government to scale up none-violent actions to end the impasse. Sadly, it’s not the bursting of pipelines in parts of the country that has informed the Agadem/Kaduna planned pipeline project.
Other factors that may have informed the bombings of oil installations beside corrupt Nigerians is the growing agitations by those renewing the call for sovereign state of Biafra. The most unfortunate reason is the seeming general view of Niger Deltans who believe the North is leeching on the oil producing states. It would have made more sense if government put more effort at exploiting acclaimed oil finds in the Niger/Benue basins.
We must wake up to the realization that even the good intentions of PMB alone cannot take Nigeria anywhere except with the cooperation of people with right thinking mental process to galvanize the economy. We must also realize that continuous hailing under our evolving circumstance can never, has never helped any government. It is indeed time to offer patriotic criticism.
It is no longer news that when he removed road blocks we hailed, he replaced same road blocks we hailed. He engaged full Treasury Single Account (TSA) we hailed, economy went from bad to worse on its full implementation among other factors we blamed the PDP. Anti-corruption comments scared foreign investors away, FOREX crashed and we are still hailing and throwing blames around. We must think properly to get the ship of nationhood out of the present economic Tsunami. Already we are on economic ring of fire where all manner of disasters keep bashing the already battered economy of a country well endowed with human and natural resources. We must wear our thinking cap to realize that whatever plans with Niger Republic on the crude export can never be like maintaining our own oil installations/facilities.
Written by Israel A. Ebije.
[email protected], [email protected] or@ebijeisrael.com
