OIL EXPLORATION WAS PEACEFUL BEFORE THE IOCs EXPLOITATION OF OUR PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT -Emmanuel Uduaghan.

The Delta state Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday told A HIGH LEVEL SESSION ON COMBATING NEW AND EMERGING THREATS TO REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA which held at Conference Hall 3 of the UN General Assembly Building in Newyork, that oil exploration in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria was very peaceful before the exploitation of the people and the environment by the IOCs(International Oil Companies).

The Governor who was responding to the moderator of the session, Mr Eloho Otobo when he asked His Excellency to comment on the issue of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

While speaking at the session in NewYork, Governor Uduaghan journeyed back into history of oil exploration and production in Nigeria and said that oil exploration activities in the country was very peaceful.

The Governor did mentioned that the challenges of the activity in the country especially in the Niger- Delta region today was as a result of the exploitation and neglect of the environment and its people by the IOCs without questioning until the effects of their activities destroyed the environment and rendered the inhabitants of the oil producing areas who depended on the healthy environment for sustenance completely jobless.

As a people when the reality of unemployment dawned on them and daily sustenance of self and family members became more threatened, crises inevitably crept in, poverty followed, hunger was always on the strike and anger was further provoked and so violence became the order of the day Governor Uduaghan said.

The Governor noted that it was this cycle that eventually culminated in the birth of pipeline vandalism for the purpose of crude theft. He further pointed out that this aspect of crude oil theft was only one part and also insignificant when compared to that perpetuated by the International Oil Companies(IOCs) which was more sophisticated and therefore accounts for the loss of an estimated 400,000 barrels/day in comparison to an estimated 100,000 bpd that is lost to local vandals.

Cumulatively, the Governor added, that this implies that CRUDE OIL THEFT can be said to be the "Largest producer of crude" in Nigeria as it beats all the multinationals production put together.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan concluded that Government is however doing its best to reverse this negative trend by first, addressing the needs of the oil producing communities as it is represented by DESOPADEC(Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission) in Delta State and that secondly Government is also making the Right LAWS to address the criminal aspect and having the right political will to deal with the situation.

Taking Delta state to d next level.... Looking beyond oil.

This struggle for Resource Control is not yet over until we are emancipated practically.

The call for Resourse control is the answers

Who will continue the fight for this environmental problem due to oil exploitation? However, I thank this state governor for the struggle.

The oil producing communities should be consider before any other thing. The neglect & environmental problem is too much on the communities.

Who are the CRUDE OIL THIEVES?
Our problem with in oil exploration is corruption and the government should first fight it.

A call for resource control is a must fight, Niger Delta Must Get It RIGHT,Now.