Contrary to the environmental degradation occasioned by the activities of illegal oil bunkerers in the Niger Delta, civil society groups from Delta and Bayelsa States, on Saturday urged the federal government to legalise the activities of local refineries in the region, saying such development would create job opportunities for the people.

The groups, under the aegis of Ijaw People Development Initiatives [IPEDI] decried the military invasion of oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region over alleged cases of illegal bunkering and operations of illegal refineries.

In a statement endorsed by its president, Comrade Austin Ozobo, a copy of which was made available to Sunday Tribune in Yenagoa, IPEDI kicked against the use of military strategy to tackle oil bunkering, but pushed for the legalization of local refineries in the oil producing communities.

While contending that the adoption of military option through the operations of the Joint Task Force [JTF] codenamed “Operation Pulo Shield” was inappropriate and capable of increasing security challenges in the Niger Delta, the group stated that setting standards for the operations of local refineries would go a long way to address unemployment and youth restiveness in the region.

According to the statement, “In spite of the military action against illegal bunkering along the waters and creeks of the Niger Delta, there have been rapid increase in illegal oil bunkering and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region”.

“The oil bunkering and local refineries operation should be licensed by the federal government and it will be done in such a way that the bunkerers and the local refineries operators will pay tax to their state governments. This will provide job for many. Nigerians and avoid disengaging the already self employed youths in the region instead of having thousands of jobless youths out there causing insecurity problems which they are unable to solve”, the statement added.

It also called on the federal government to consider issues of proposed legal operation of the local refineries in the Niger Delta, adding that the 13 per cent oil derivative accruing to oil states should be paid directly to oil bearing communities.

"The creation of oil producing areas development commissions, Ministry of Niger Delta, Niger Delta Development Commission and others would not solve the age long predicament rocking oil producing communities, because these commissions are not committed towards resolving the problems at hand. With these commissions presence, most of the oil producing communities cannot boast of electricity, drinkable water, good health care facilities, good school, good road network," the group asserted.