The recent alert issued by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWOSA) that Nigeria lost a whopping $2.8 billion in 2018 to crimes that are oil and maritime related calls for swift and concerted efforts by all responsible agencies so as to forestall a future occurrence.
This was made known in a media report last week by the UNOWOSA Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who announced that between January 1 and November 23 (2018) there were 82 reported incidents of the maritime crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. We share the sentiments of UNOWOSA that the losses pose a threat to peace, security and development of Nigeria in particular and the West African sub-region as a whole. There is no doubt that the situation may have constituted a huge leakage that otherwise would have had a strong impact on the economy in terms of the opportunity cost of having that sum in the kitty.
Available information reveals that since 2014, Pirates have been operating a well-funded criminal industry, which includes established supply networks In the Gulf of Guinea. They are often part of heavily armed and sophisticated criminal enterprises, who increasingly use motherships to launch their attacks. The local pirates’ overall aim is to steal oil cargo; they are especially noted for their violent modus operandi, which frequently involves the kidnapping, torture and shooting of crewmen. The increasingly violent methods used by these groups are believed to be part of a conscious “business model” adopted by them, in which violence and intimidation plays a major role.
It is under the above context that the country lost the said sum in 2018. It is by no means a small sum and to that extent, the authorities should take the warning seriously. The loss presupposes that it is a yearly occurrence that probably increases with each passing year hence the warning before it balloons out of proportion. When converted, that sum is a little over a trillion naira. That amount can solve several of Nigeria’s problems ranging from roads in some places to good water and sanitation, education and child health care to mention a few. To put this in perspective, the 2018 budget allocated just a little above that sum for recurrent spending in health, education and defence.
To lose such hefty sums to crime paints a negative picture of the system, the authorities and the economic climate. This is especially so when the level of other criminal activities are also considered. Together, they make the economic climate bad for business. Ranked 146, Nigeria ranks among one of the worst places to do business, making international business people have second thoughts about investing in Nigeria. Most times, Nigeria is passed over in preference of neighbouring countries for this reason.
It now behoves the authorities to sanitise the business and economic environment by facing head on, not only oil and maritime crimes but also, all forms of crime in the country. The navy and the marine police who have direct responsibility for protecting the local and territorial waters are hereby urged to step up their game to forestall bunkering and piracy. They should dispense their duties with a deep sense of patriotism and leave no room for so called sacred cows. This charge has become necessary as word on the streets have it that these criminals are been aided and abetted by men in the corridors of power and who are considered untouchables.
In line with the above, government should empower the agencies with the most modern equipments required to monitor the waters and to combat these men of the underworld should push comes to shove, requiring engagement with the ‘enemy’. They are the enemy because their crimes constitute economic sabotage. This is so because as we have noted earlier, the opportunity cost of the funds lost will have deprived the generality of Nigerians a measure of good health, infrastructure education etc.
As much as government may want to tackle the problem head on, it is necessary to get the support of neighbouring countries that are also affected by the piracy menace. It is only such regional cooperation that can ensure that these criminals have no breathing space within the territorial waters of member countries. Such cooperation has been known to be very effective such as the one reached in fighting the Boko Haram insurgents during the twilight of the last administration. It is noted that the insurgents were shaken to their foundations at the time. Similarly, it is only when oil and maritime criminals are boxed from all corners will there be any appreciable results in this regard.
In like manner, we urge government to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves if the economy will make any progress from its already weak and fledgling state. Economic crimes can only undermine whatever efforts are put in to growing the economy.
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