By Egena Sunday Ode
The Federal Government will soon bring an end to the intractable menace of crude oil theft in the country.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma gave this assurance on Thursday after he had met with Vice President Kashim Shettima in his office at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Imo governor chairs the National Economic Council (NEC) Sub-Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention.
He said he was in the State House to brief the Vice President, who heads NEC, on the progress made by the sub-committee so far.
“We had a very positive discussion. It’s still a work in progress. At the end of the day, we are going to bring a final solution to this monster called crude oil theft,” Uzodinma said .
There has been serious concern over Nigeria’s continuous loss of billions of dollars in revenue annually to crude oil theft, despite measures introduced by the government over the years to curb the menace.
The Imo governor also spoke on the importance of reconciliation efforts within the APC, citing the ongoing rapprochement between the party and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State.
He said the most important thing is the interest of Nigerians and the people, irrespective of political affiliations.
“Government is one and no matter the political party you belong to, we are one. At the end of the day what we are looking for is how to ensure that the ordinary man on the street is taken care of and there is security for all of us and the welfare of our citizens is also protected, which is the primary purpose of government,” he stated .
Asked how important is Kano to APC, he said “Kano is not only important to APC but to Nigeria, so it’s an important state for all of us.
“NNPP is a political party, APC is a political party. The most important thing is the interest of Nigerians and the people,” he added .
