IOCs reconsider Niger Delta security, as MEND ups attack on JTF

International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria’s multi-billion dollars oil and gas industry, at the weekend, reconsidered the growing insecurity in Niger Delta-base of their operations.

This followed the claim by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) that it was responsible for the attack on the Joint Task Force (JTF) boat along Nembe-Bassanbiri waterways in Bayelsa State.

MEND, which has continued to bomb oil installations and engage government troops stationed in the region in skirmishes, is a splinter militant group that rejected the Federal Government’s amnesty in August 2009.

Libya threatens militants with army intervention

Libya has increased the pressure on militants occupying its eastern oil ports, by stating that the country’s military are standing by to intervene.

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan told reporters that the Libyan military were gearing up to end the occupation.

Militants are currently occupying 3 key ports on Libya’s Mediterranean coast. The ports at Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zuetina are crucial to the export of Libyan oil and their occupation is putting a 600,000 barrel per day strangle hold on the economy.

In recent weeks, Zeidan had appeared to favour diplomacy over military intervention as public support for the militants began to wane. His patience appears to be wearing thin though and military intervention looks more and more likely.

“Weeks ago we ordered the minister of defense to give his instructions to the chief of staff to move toward the occupied ports in the east. Now the matter is in the hands of the army command,” he said.

However, with much of Libya’s fledgling army still being trained, questions remain as to how swiftly they will be able to depose the militants. Diplomacy may yet prove to be the best option for both parties.

FG, IPMAN in fresh move to avert fuel crisis

The federal government appeared not to be sleeping over the warning by the Major Oil Marketers Association (MOMAM) that fuel crises was imminent, as it has taken fresh measures to nip the problem in the bud.

Following its determination to make petroleum products available across the country, government has engaged the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) to bridge products from depots controlled by the Products and Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) , a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Confirming this development, the IPMAN has therefore urged its members to ensure that  they accessed products from PPMC depots across the country.

IPMAN has also advised the general public to avoid panic buying of fuel as it said that there was no impending  fuel scarcity in the country.

The national president of the association , Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadri, who gave the assurance in a media briefing in Lagos yesterday said with the latest arrangement, the fear of rumoured scarcity has been allayed. Abdulkadri said that there was stable fuel supply in the country, urging members of the public to avoid panic buying as there would  no longer be  any reason for that.