The Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface today, February 13 had a collaborative discussion on oil theft mitigation mechanisms and alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta with officials of the federal government of Nigeria in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene received a reconfirmed invitation and appointment to meet with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Gabriel Tanumu Aduda to have the discussion.

The latest invitation for discussion with the government officials followed an earlier invitation by the federal government through the same ministry in 2022 for the YEAC-Nigeria’s Executive Director to address the 7th Edition of the National Council on Hydrocarbons (NCH) which took place in Minna, the Niger State capital from November 22-25 on his proposals on oil theft mitigation mechanisms and alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta.

Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene’s presentation at the NCH, a compilation of all oil theft mitigation mechanisms developed and promoted in a publication titled “THE PACORDI DOCTRINE AND OTHER OIL THEFT MITIGATION MECHANISMS FOR NIGERIA” impressed the Government officials, oil companies and other critical stakeholders present at the event but there was no time to go into the details of each of them. Thus Mr. Fyneface was offered automatic appointment to meet with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources to discuss more details of the proposals to enable the government consider areas of collaborations to address issues around artisanal refineries and alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta.

The permanent secretary who was supposed to preside over the meeting scheduled for 10AM was invited to an emergency meeting before the time and he eventually mandated some Directors and Senior members of staff of the Ministry to meet and discuss with Mr. Fyneface and his team by about 2PM when he saw his possible further delay in his return to time to the office for the meeting.

The delegations from both YEAC-Nigeria and Ministry of Petroleum Resources had a successful and impactful deliberations on the proposals in the PACORDI DOCTRINE among others such that its impending outcome holds a brighter future for artisanal refiners and youths across the Niger Delta when implemented.

YEAC-Nigeria will continue to work with governments, companies, civil society organizations, legislators, ministries, departments and agencies of government as well as local and international development partners among other critical stakeholders to facilitate opportunities for the people and youths in the Niger Delta.

Mr. Fyneface thus urges youths in the region to stop pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, artisanal refining and associated pollution that violate the peoples’ environmental rights, contribute to soot, loss of revenue to government and destruction of the ecosystem as well as the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers in the Niger Delta.

Mr. Fyneface was accompanied to the meeting by Mr. Philip Godfrey, YEAC-Nigeria’s Bayelsa State Advocacy Officer and Rosemary Arafiena, Abuja Advocacy Manager, YEAC-Nigeria with support from Isaac Opiriyabo, Rivers State Coordinator and Chairman, Modular Refinery Multipurpose Cooperative Societies Ltd.

FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE,
Executive Director, YEAC-Nigeria.
13-02-2023