Expert faults burning of 800,000 barrels crude-laden vessel

An environmentalist, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, has berated the military and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for setting ablaze a vessel said to have been seized with 800,000 litres of stolen crude.

Bassey, who is the Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, described the action as economic waste and ecological assault.

The NNPCL recently intercepted an 800,000-litre vessel, MT Tura II, conveying stolen crude offshore while heading to Cameroon, and it was later set ablaze to serve as deterrent to oil thieves.

Bassey while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt stated that security agencies must be educated on the climate crisis and how destroying petroleum products was tantamount to ecological assault on the environment.

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He said the razing of the vessel by the government was a waste and disregard for the already degraded environment.

While describing the continuous destruction of the environment as unacceptable, the HOMEF boss said the whole process of apprehending and destroying MT Tura II was like a stage-managed charade. He therefore demanded investigation into the matter.

He stated, “The drama that unfolded with regard to the seized and bombed vessel is extremely disturbing. Destroying a vessel loaded with 800,000 barrels of crude oil should be taken as a new low in the demonstration of wastefulness on the part of those who should be watching over the nation’s resources.

“The entire episode requires urgent investigation. Why would anyone blow up a vessel and dump 800, 000 barrels of oil into the environment? If that volume of crude is correct, this must be one of the largest volumes of crude oil spilled in one incident.

“Our security men are often seen protecting pollution such as gas flares and rotten pipelines and stripping communities of their dignity. In this incident, they have demonstrated utter disregard for our constitutional right to a safe environment.”

He said one drop of crude oil contaminates 25 litres of water, and that 800,000 barrels of crude oil would do severe damage. “It means destruction of fisheries and livelihoods. It also means directly poisoning our people,” he added.

He stated further, “Oil theft is a crime. Blowing up a vessel loaded with crude oil is a higher order of malfeasance. The security forces need some training on environmental and climate crises. What has played out is sickening on many levels; economic waste, ecological assault. Security cannot be a valid reason for blowing up the vessel. We need to know why this was done, and urgently too.”