Oil theft allegation: Niger/Delta group threatens to declare Tinubu persona non grata

The United Niger/Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS) has threatened to declare the former Governor of Lagos State and nationalleader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, apersona non grata in the Niger Delta region “if he does not restrain from
ethnicising the challenge of oil theft in the area.”

The group in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Tony Uranta,a copy of which was made available to Daily Trust in Lagos, said its warning stemmed from Tinubu’s allegation against President GoodluckJonathan of being responsible for the theft of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Tinubu was quoted to have said at a political rally in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, that Jonathan knew how the theft of crude oil was being perpetrated at the oil-rich region.

But in its statement, UNDEDSS said it roundly condemned “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s reckless attempt to ethnicize the very critical issue of oil theft.”

The statement added that “UNDEDSS (the coalition of Ethnic Nationalities and Civil Society in the Niger Delta) cautions the APC National Leader to cease his now-perennial ethnic-profiling of the
region’s peoples, for cheap political ambition reasons, while reminding him that evidence abounds that he, and his fellow-travellers, have been in the forefront of illegal oil bunkering in Nigeria for decades.

“Should Bola Tinubu persist in his dastardly attempt to demonise the Niger Delta and its peoples, UNDEDSS may be compelled to immediately place him on the active ‘No-Visit’ list that restricts enemies of the Niger Delta and its otherwise-hospitable peoples from setting foot
within our regional space with impunity.

“This would effectively mark him as persona non grata and means he will not be guaranteed welcome within the region, with immediate effect and till further notice.”