How should government handle the issue of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.

How should government handle the issue of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.

A government can only make a decision in light of the options that are available to it. We are aware that any rational government would always act in the interest consistent with the needs of its people and for the greater good of the majority.

Having ascertained this fact, the approach that the Nigerian Government should take as regards illegal refineries would be consistent with its value for the utmost good of everyone one.

I don’t feel adequate to comment on the issues of the Niger delta, however from the point of view which I perceive this situation, I am confident that I will take a different view if given access other factors and other elements of which I may not be privy to at the moment.

My approach would be revolutionary. However, I would endeavor to avoid any major decisions that would cause unrest and create a volatile situation of worsen the low quality of life of the people of that region.

The current law of Nigeria prevents illegal mining and activities in the Niger Delta. However, the law permits companies to collect a mining license from the Federal Government. The intention of this is to ensure that only competent organisations engage in mining activities. As good as this approach may be, government should ensure that at least 50 percent of all mining activities are carried out by local companies while the remaining 50percemt is shared by outsiders. And it is important that the 50-percent local miners do both exploration and refining within in the confines of the state thereby producing jobs for the populace especially the youth.

The issue of illegal refineries should be eliminated by ensuring that mining licenses are accessible to the local populace and indigenes are encouraged to take up courses in the area of petroleum engineering and related course to graduate and come and take up jobs in such sectors with special treatment given to indigenes of the area.

Government should also strengthen the law enforcement agencies such as the NDLEA, the JTF, and other federal agencies whose duty is to enforce and ensure compliance with standards in the area.

We have highlighted, education, assessable license and empowerment of security agencies as three approaches government should use to address the issue of illegal refineries. These are the short-term, medium term and long term approaches. 

State governments should also create a fund for state-run as well as locally run-refineries to create jobs for the indigenes of the state. It is sad to note, that there are communities within which there are no indigenous refineries yet the people are the owners of the resources. Therefore, state-run and local government run refineries should be encouraged. Governments (including state and local governments) should create long term plans for the wellbeing of its people