Press Release
The Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its midstream subsidiary, the Pipelines and
Products Marketing Company (PPMC), have called on all Nigerians, especially
those living in communities close to pipelines, to see the pipelines as
their own and protect them as their own property.
The Corporation made
the plea over the weekend at the flag-off of a two-day Anti-Pipeline Vandalism
Campaign in Idimu, Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State, organized to
sensitize residents on the need to join in the war against pipeline vandalism.
Speaking at the event
which included a roadshow through the communities adjoining the pipeline right
of way in the area up to the Ejigbo Depot and the major pipeline vandalism
flashpoints of Ijeododo and Arepo, the Group General Manager, Group Public
Affairs Division of NNPC who was represented by the Manager, Public Affairs
Department, PPMC, Mr. Nasir Imodagbe, called on residents to be vigilant and
report all suspicious movements around the pipeline to the Corporation or
security agencies.
“What many people
don’t know is that besides explosions and pipeline fires that destroy lives and
property in these communities, there are more pernicious effects of pipeline
vandalism such as its potential to wipe out entire communities through the harm
it does to the environment as a result of the constant spillage of products”,
he noted.
Speaking further on
the harmful effects of pipeline vandalism on local communities, the NNPC
spokesman explained that the oil that is spilled into the environment when
vandals and oil thieves hack into pipelines “destroys aquatic life, pollutes
the ground water and renders water from boreholes unsafe for consumption;
contaminates the soil and makes it unfit to support any meaningful agricultural
activity; and ultimately reduce the quality of life of the people living around
such places”.
On the economic
effects of pipeline vandalism, the Corporation stated that apart from the huge
sums of money that government loses in the form of products losses and cost of
pipeline repairs, the average citizen loses much when he has to spend endless
hours on queues at filling stations and sometimes has to pay more to get
products at the black market during products scarcity resulting from the breach
of the pipelines by vandals and oil thieves.
“So, you can see that
no one is completely exempted from the harmful effects of this criminal act
perpetrated by a few unscrupulous elements among us. It is therefore our
collective responsibility to be vigilant and see the pipelines as our own and
protect them as our property because if we don’t, we are all going to suffer
the harmful effects one way or the other.
If you can’t confront the vandals and
oil thieves, at least you can call any of the toll free lines and report them;
sitting down and doing nothing will not save you from the harmful effect of
their criminal activities,” he stated.
Also speaking at the
event, the traditional ruler of Idimuland, Oba Azeez Olayeni Olugoke II, called
on all residents of the community to shun criminal activities, especially oil
theft and pipeline vandalism, adding that as a policy the community does not
protect anyone caught perpetrating such acts.
The Oba who was
represented by Chief Moshood Balogun, the Alase of Idimuland, promised to take
the message to his people and help mobilize the community to help tackle
pipeline vandalism.
Some of the
dignitaries that attended the flag-off ceremony include Chief Bashir Jimoh, the
Ajiroba of Idimuland; the Manager in charge of the Mosimi Area of PPMC, Mr. A.
A. Agwandas; the Manager, Ejigbo Depot, Mr. Lawrence Ekpa; and the Deputy
Manager, Pipeline Right of Way, Mosimi Area, Engr Bashir Sidi.
Ohi Alegbe
Group General
Manager,
Group Public Affairs
Division,
Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation,
Abuja.
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