FG sets up committee to curb illegal refining of petroleum product

The Federal Government has established that it has organized a committee that will enforce policies for effective and efficient management of illegally refined products recovered from dug-up pits found around the nook and cranny of the Niger Delta.

This was earlier mentioned by the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, at the inauguration ceremony of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Recovery of Illegally Refined Petroleum Product (Crude Oil) in the Dug-Up Pits found around the Creeks of the Niger Delta, in Abuja.

Malami mentioned that the exercise is in line with the policy of the current administration on security and economy and also the preservation of the environment from negative hazards.

He went further to state that the mechanism was agreed to by the relevant stakeholders and submitted to the HAGF who considered and approved the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for the purpose of implementing the Mechanism known as ‘’Standard Operating Procedure’’ (SOP) for the recovery of illegally refined petroleum products (crude oil) in the Dug-up Pit found around the creeks of the Niger Delta.

“The IMC shall be guided by the SOP as developed project, adding that the content of the SOP is drawn from the provision of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations 2019,” he said.

Members of the Committee were drawn from relevant MDA’s whose mandates relate to defence, security, environment, petroleum and asset recovery. They are Federal Ministries of Justice, Defence, Environment, Defence Headquarters, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Others are the Nigerian Army, Navy, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of Petroleum Resources; and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency.