Oil theft: FG, multinationals must secure nation’s pipelines — Ikpea

Worried by the loss of billions of dollars to crude oil theft in the country, an engineering firm has asked the Federal Government and multinationals to rise to the responsibility of protecting the nation’s pipelines from thieves.

Dr Leemon Ikpea, the Group Chairman/CEO of Lee Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, told a news briefing on Friday in Abuja that collaboration between the government and the multinationals was imperative to checkmate the ongoing oil theivery on a homongous scale.

Commemorating the company’s 31st anniversary, he said: “Time has come for us to create a pool of funds to further tackle insecurity.”

Ikpea, who decried the security situation in the country, appealed to big organisations to support the government in its efforts to improve security.

“Ensuring security along our pipelines is necessary as 80 per cent of the national economy is driven by the oil and gas sector.

“We can have security fund that can be in a pool in a certain bank and if there is any flashy area, the fund can be used. The fund can as well be used for road construction and rehabilitation.

“Security issues should not be left for government alone to tackle, rather it should be a collective effort in terms of funding and information, among others,” he said.

Ikpea noted that the country had recorded an improvement in crude oil production and meeting its OPEC quota following government’s special intervention and increased attention to security.

He, however, lauded the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd on its recent discovery of illegal pipelines due to heightened security in the oil-producing areas of the country.

On Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), he said the company established a foundation in 2012 to cater specifically for widows, the elderly and sick people.

According to him, the foundation has trained about 40 doctors working in different countries and over 189 graduates of Civil and Mechanical Engineering.

He disclosed that the company would in the nearest future make forays into aviation, production, exploration, travels and tours, among others

Lee Engineering Group is a high level indigenous service provider in the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Operation and Maintenance (EPCOM) with over 30 years experience in the oil, gas and power sectors.

Persecondnews recalls that the company was among the recipients of the 2022 National Merit Awards bestowed by President Muhammadu Buhari.