Convener of Niger Delta Young Professionals, Moses Siloko Siasia believes the Nigerian government is chasing shadows in its quest to tackle the scourge of crude oil theft.
He spoke on the visit to the region’s governors by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mele Kyari.
In a statement on Wednesday, Siasia complained that South South governors relegated “human infrastructure development” while focusing on public infrastructure.
The NYPF chairman described the country’s political elite as the primary actors of illegality, who use young people “to fulfill their evil obligations.”
Siasia accused some institutions that are saddled with the task of interventions of failing in their responsibilities.
He demanded focus on entrepreneurship, skill acquisition programmes and a framework that would ensure employment and engagement of youths.
Stressing that youths are worried about injustice, stealing and mismanagement of resources, Siasia warned that there would not be normalcy “in a dysfunctional environment”.
He said young demography are left with no choice than to take their destiny in their hands because the government abandoned them.
“No jobs, scholarships, engagement programs, skills acquisition centres, sports development centres, entrepreneurship development centres; no incentives for small businesses, no reward system,” he said.
Siasia noted that the federal government and officials were looking for solutions “because the country is losing a lot of revenue as a result of oil theft”.
He warned that theft, kidnapping and other forms of criminality would remain inevitable as long as the authorities failed to create sustainable livelihood.
Siasia, however, commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for efforts to develop human capacity in the Niger Delta and urged the government to devote more resources to the youths.