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European Parliament Moves To Ban Oil Stolen From Nigeria

European Parliament Moves To Ban Oil Stolen From Nigeria

From AllAfrica

The European Parliament is set to stop the purchase of stolen oil from Nigeria in Europe. Any crude oil meant to be sold in the European market is now to be accompanied with a certificate of origin.

This was one of the landmark decisions taken at the meeting of the members of the African, Caribbean, Pacific Parliaments and their European Union counterparts (ACP-EU) at the conclusion of their three-day regional meeting in Abuja last week.

Mitchell Rivasi (Acting Co- President ACP- EU) and Joyce Laboso (Co- Secretary General) told reporters that the need to stop the huge loss of Nigeria’s oil to organized syndicates of oil thieves necessitated the decision.

The Federal Government said last week after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting that 400, 000 barrels of oil, an equivalent of N7.3million, is lost daily to oil thieves.

Rivasi Said: “We want to ban European refineries from buying un-certificated oil. 400, 000 barrels a day is a huge loss. We need to get traceability of oil to avoid theft. The oil companies are involved in this and everybody is making big money.

“The bunkering tankers are better equipped than the Nigerian Navy, This is a huge international organized crime. We did it with diamond; we can also do it with oil.”

According to her, the country would have been better off if it had functional refineries. “Could someone please explain why you don’t have refineries in Nigeria?” She asked, describing Nigeria as a “paradox.”

Read more at AllAfrica.