IPMANVows to Fight Petroleum Crimes in Akwa Ibom

Okon Bassey in

The newly appointed Head of Operation, Akwa Ibom State chapter of the SouthSouth Petroleum Monitoring Committee, Mr Sunday Okoh Ekwai, has vowed to eradicate all petroleum crimes within the coastal waterways of the state.

Ekwai, who spoke with newsmen in his office in Oron LGA, recently, said the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), petroleum monitoring committee, in the state would leave no stone unturned in curbing illegal bunkering, smuggling of petroleum products, adulteration and other petroleum crimes.

He averred that Nigeria was losing billions of naira in revenue annually as a result of activities of vandals and smugglers within the South-South Coastal waterways hence the determination of the committee to sanitize sector.

“I have been directed to work in synergy with all relevant security agencies to scrub all forms of illegal bunkering, smuggling of petroleum products, adulteration and other petroleum crimes within the South-South Coastal waterways in the State”, he said.

He maintained that most fire disasters in the country were caused by unpatriotic Nigerians who take delight in adulterating petroleum products for pecuniary reasons, adding that IPMAN was worried and concerned about the trend, which must be checked.

Ekwai, called on Nigerians, mostly fishermen in Akwa Ibom, to report to security agencies any suspicious act of economic sabotage by petroleum smugglers, stressing that adulteration of petroleum products was a very serious crime against the nation.