The Nation Newspaper

Tag: pipelines

  • Shell warns on dangers of building on gas pipelines

    Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has drawn the attention of members of the public to the dangers of building on gas pipelines.

    A statement by Shell’s Corporate Media Relations Manager, Precious Okolobo, said SNG stressed the dangers of encroaching on the pathway (right-of-way) of gas pipelines during a campaign on the issue in its business areas in Ogun, Rivers and Abia states.

    The company said the exercise has already been held in Ogun State, with SNG and its Right-of-Way campaign partner, the African Foundation for Environment and Development, sensitising communities in Ijoko, Itokin and Ota in Ado Odo-Ota Local Government Area, on the dangers of vandalising pipelines, bush-burning, and construction of structures on and around gas pipelines.

    “The campaign goes beyond our business interests,” pointed out SNG Managing Director, Toyin Adenuga. “It is rather more about safety of lives and property. People who build on gas pipelines risk losing everything including their lives and things they’ve worked hard for. The campaign is to make them to realise that the risk is not worth it.”

    He said SNG would continue to engage the communities as partners to promote the company’s safety culture and respect for the environment. The campaign will be taken to Port Harcourt and Aba where gas pipeline Right-of-Way surveillance contractors will dedicate one day to walk through SNG pipeline routes distributing flyers and other enlightenment materials.

    SNG is a wholly Shell-owned gas distribution company which began operations in 1998. The company distributes gas to industrial consumers in Ogun, Rivers and Abia states.

     

  • Group to Delta, Edo youths: don’t vandalise pipelines

    The National Coordinator of the Youth Coalition Against Vandalism(Y-CAV), Comrade Roland Odih, has urged youths from Edo and Delta states to devise means of protecting petroleum and power pipelines installations in their areas rather than vandalising them.

    He spoke at a two-day sensitisation programme organised for youths from Edo and Delta states held in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

    In a communique issued at the end of the workshop, Odih urged the youths to be patriotic.

    He urged the youths to work with the coalition, the government and security and relevant agencies in  preserving and protecting the various power projects and facilities within their domain.

    He said the programme, which is in the pilot phase, is expected to span three years.

    He saidthe programme was set up to enlighten youths on the hazards of pipeline vandalism.

    Odih said  there would be workshops and talk shows for the youths.

    He said: “The programme is an innovative engagement platform geared at preventing  electricity facilities and petroleum pipelines vandalism in Nigeria while also exploring areas of productive endeavours for the youths of the affected areas”he said

    The National Secretary of the Y-CAV, Solomon Adodo, urged the Federal Government to create jobs for the youths  to stop vandalism.

    Traditional rulers from the two states were also present at the event.

  • Vandals attack Lagos, Ogun pipelines as scarcity deepens

    AS petrol scarcity worsens in the country, vandals have continued to steal petrol from major Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines in Lagos and Ogun states.

    The vandals sell the stolen petrol to the public.

    Men of the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit, Lagos Command, have foiled an attack on pipelines in Ikate Akute, Ojodu.

    Acting on a tip off, men of the task force stormed the crime scene, where the vandals engaged them in a gun duel. One of the suspects, Abbey Daniel, was arrested but the others escaped.

    Five wooden speed boats and about 4,000 empty 50 litres galloon were recovered from the suspects.

    An eyewitness, who claims to be a fisherman, said residents were woken up by the sound of gunshots.

    He said: “In recent times, the area has been peaceful and these vandals never visited. The shooting lasted for over one hour, with the vandals firing from the other side of the river. They later fled when they could no longer contain the fire power of the policemen. That was when we ferried the police with our boats across the river.”

    Other residents said it was like a war situation, and hailed the police for facing the vandals.

    They called for the establishment of a police post in Ikate.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Task Force Friday Ibadin said: “We got a tip off that vandals had resumed activities in Ikate Akute, Ojudu, Ogun State, from an NNPC pipeline. Policemen, led by the newly posted Lagos Sector Commander, DSP Samson Olawoyin, cordoned off the area and the vandals opened fire.

    “The vandals fled when they realised that their game was up. The boat containing countless numbers of 50 litres gallons has been destroyed while one of the suspects was arrested.

    “There have been several attempts by vandals in recent times to operate, but our men have stopped them. We are aware that these boys, who know the desperation of Nigerians in search of fuel, see vandalism as a booming market, so we have to fortify the area.”

    Daniel said: “I am sorry, but we did it to help Nigerians get fuel, which is not available to them. We knew that before the police would cross to the other side, we would have disappeared. We got a tip off that they were pumping fuel through that line. There is a high demand for fuel in Lagos and buyers are paying good money for it, especially operators of petrol station. I was not armed and cannot swim; so I had to hide in the bush. I was on my way home when the police traced me through my phone that was left at the scene. I ask for mercy.”

    There is no guarantee that the scarcity would end soon, as it was learnt that there is shortage of the product in Apapa depots.

    Long queues have returned to petrol stations, many of which claim that they are out of stock. Many petrol stations said their tankers have been queuing at depots for days.

    Spokesman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association, Southwest Zone, Comrade Tayo Aboyeji said over 800 fuel tankers are stranded in Lagos due to unavailability of petrol at depots in Apapa.

    He said: “The information reaching us is that there is no more product to dispense at the depots. The only depot dispensing is Capitol Oil, which will soon be out of stock. This scarcity will worsen in the next few days, if the product is not available soonest.”

  • Abia urges monarchs to protect pipelines

    Abia urges monarchs to protect pipelines

    The Abia State government has called on traditional rulers of pipeline host-communities to identify individuals in their domain who perpetrated pipeline vandalism for appropriate sanctions.

    The state Commissioner for Petroleum and Solid Minerals Development, Chief Don Ubani, gave the order in a statement in Aba.

    It would be recalled that some persons perished while attempting to scoop petroleum products from a vandalised pipeline at Umueke village in the Umueze Autonomous Community of Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state.

    “Henceforth, any traditional ruler in whose community the PPMC pipeline is vandalised should be prepared to identify such hoodlums for appropriate action by government or face the consequence of nonchalance.’’

    Ubani urged hospitals or traditional healers currently treating any suspected pipeline vandal to report such persons to law enforcement authorities.

    “Any medical practitioner or traditional healer who fails to heed this clarion call will be regarded as an accomplice and will be treated as such.’’ he said.

    The Managing Director of Pipeline and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr Haruna Momoh, said at the re-opening of the NNPC Aba depot in July that it lost products worth N7.6 billion to pipeline vandals between the Port Harcourt and Aba segments since 2007.

    He said that over 30 million litres of PMS (fuel) was readily available at the reopening of depot, while assuring that the trend would be maintained if the pipelines were not vandalised.

    The depot was commissioned about 33 years ago with the capacity for over 133 million litres of petroleum products, including petrol, kerosene and diesel to serve Imo, Abia, Anambra and some past of Akwa Ibom.

    NN