The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its midstream subsidiary, 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, 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.
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