By Godwin Chukwumaechi
Former militant leaders and key stakeholders from the six states of the Niger Delta met on Saturday at the Okochiri Palace of King Ateke Tom, in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, over efforts to tackle crude oil theft.
Sources close to the organisers confirmed that the meeting was convened to discuss ways and strategies needed for overseeing the pipeline surveillance contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Among those present at the meeting convened by HRM Ateke Michael Tom were Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Chief Ajube Bibopiri (Gen. Shootatsight), and Hon.Victor Ben Ebikabowei (Gen Boyloaf).
According to the source, those in attendance also shared the objective of intensifying efforts to combat oil theft in the area and agreed on the need for the contract to be decentralized.
While specific details of the gathering remain undisclosed, it is apparent that it marked a unified front against the persistent problem of oil theft in the region.
The stakeholders expressed commitment to boost collaborative endeavours aimed at safeguarding the pipelines and the interests of the NNPCL.
This collaborative approach has the potential to be a turning point in the ongoing struggle against oil theft, with far-reaching benefits for the entire region and the Nigerian economy, our correspondent said.
