As Navy battles oil theft with Twitter

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According to the statistics provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria  has lost N191bn ($1.23bn) to oil theft and vandalism between January and March this year. This development, no doubt, threatens the country’s revenue base.

The Nigeria Navy seems to be rising up to the challenge to end the incessant crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, with a view to meeting  the national target of 2.48mbpd.

The NN is deploying the use of information and communication technology with the launching of a new website, www.cot.navy.mil.ng, specially dedicated to crude oil theft.

A visit to the site on Thursday shows that apart from serving as a platform to share information and exchange ideas with the international community, the site also has a link for reporting  suspicious activities of vandals.

There is link to an email address tell@cot.navy.mil.ng  embedded on the website with the tag, “Click here to report Suspicious Activity.” Besides, different social media accounts have been formed for the campaign. For instance there is a Facebook account, Nigeriannavycot, as well as a Twitter handle @NigerianNavyCOT. The bio on the Twitter handle reads, “Join the Nigerian Navy in saying No Crude Oil Theft.”

The Nigerian Navy also utilised infographics and audiovisuals to explain the menace of oil theft and vandalism on its new website.

However, more needs to be done. It appears that the Facebook and Twitter accounts, which have been plugged in on the website for the purpose of the campaign, are not being regularly updated.  The last time an update appeared on the Facebook account created on April 2, was on April 19.

Also, it appears that the person managing the Twitter account went on holidays since April 14, the day he sent out the only five tweets on the account. Updating the social media accounts regularly  will go a long way in making the members of the general public aware of the need to buy into the campaign.

Meanwhile, Nigerians on social networks have been divided on the efficacy of the initiative of the NN. Many of them argued that the inaccessibility of Internet connection by the first-hand witnesses of incidence of vandalism and oil theft might not make the ICT campaign effective.

 “This initiative is okay but the main people who are first-hand witnesses to these theft may not report it, not because they don’t want to, but because they may not have access to the internet,” Ada, a  member of the popular online forum, nairaland.com notes.

 Another member of the forum, Shortblackboy says, apart from deploying ICT for reporting issues of vandalism, the Nigerian Navy should also warn its men against aiding and abetting the culprits.

“The navy should appeal to its men to stop assisting illegal oil bunkering. And the government officials should stop stealing oil revenue before they tell common thieves to stop,” he argues.

Commenting on the newly developed website, a visitor, Anayo Uchegbu, advocated diligent prosecution of those caught in the act after reporting via the website, irrespective of affiliation.

He said, “Great initiative from the Navy. Please ensure that you prosecute vandals, illegal “bunkerers”, dealers in stolen oil as well as military and government personnel that are engaged in economic and environmental sabotage. Also, try not to burn the canoes and barges/vessels that transport and bunker stolen oil so that the creeks and rivers will not suffer from environmental degradation and  pollution.”

Lauding the NN for deploying the ICT for its “No crude Oil Theft” campaign, a visitor to the forum, with the name Yeboyes, said he was pleased with the design of the website.

“I am a major critic of Nigerian web designs, but I am very impressed with this one. The design is great and the domain is prefect. Finally Nigerian web design companies are starting to build website the right way,” he explains.