Nigeria’s national oil company, NNPC Limited, is pushing for the establishment of a specialised court to deal with persons who would be caught involved in crude oil theft and vandalism of crude oil pipelines.
The company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mele Kyari, believes that it is about time the country’s judiciary
supported in tackling the twin challenges of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Kyari made the call in a speech read for him at the National Judges’ Capacity Building Workshop on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, in Abuja, last week, stating that the gains of the PIA have been severely undermined by crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
In light of this, he urged the judiciary to consider the creation of a special court to try offences related to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism or granting accelerated hearings to such cases.
According to him, the role of the judiciary was critical to the success of the efforts of the various security arrangements put in place by the NNPC, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the industry.
“In particular, is the recommendation that a special court be created to try those offences as they hinge on our survival as a country and/or for such trials to be conducted under an accelerated hearing process by the issuance of Practice Directions to that effect, with concomitant sanctions to deter would-be offenders,” Kyari stated.
The GCEO also called on the judiciary to accelerate hearings on criminal cases in their courts, through timely determination of the criminal charges and imposing adequate punishments and sanctions on culprits to serve as deterrence to others.
He said that NNPC remains committed to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the PIA, adding that “together, we can ensure that the benefits of our natural resources are maximised for the economic and social development of our country.”
Kyari also commended the Chief Justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola, and the organisers of the workshop for extending the invitation to him and the opportunity to deliver a goodwill message at the workshop.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com