In an interview published by the Financial Times on Friday, Nigerian businessman, Tony Elumelu, has said the government and security agents in Nigeria should be able to tell Nigerians who steal the country’s crude oil, especially using vessels that move through the territorial waters.
He said he discovered first-hand why international oil companies were partly divesting from onshore assets after criminal gangs began stealing crude from his pipelines.
“It is clear that the reason Nigeria is unable to meet its OPEC production quota is not because of low investment but because of theft, pure and simple!
“Meanwhile, oil-producing countries are smiling as their foreign reserves are rising. What is Nigeria’s problem? We need to hold our leaders more accountable!”
Asked who was behind the theft, he replied, “This is oil theft; we’re not talking about stealing a bottle of Coke you can put in your pocket. The government should know; they should tell us.
“Look at America — Donald Trump was shot at and quickly they knew the background of who shot him. Our security agencies should tell us who is stealing our oil. You bring vessels to our territorial waters and we don’t know?”
Speaking on the mass relocation of Nigerians abroad, Elumelu declared, “I support it totally. I don’t have a problem with people saying ‘I’m going to Canada, the UK or the US.’
“Joblessness is the betrayal of a generation. You’ve gone to school and come back with your dreams and aspirations and you don’t have the opportunity.
“People who decide to find solutions elsewhere, no one should stop them. But for those who decide to stay, they should try to create an impact and build a legacy.”