The Nation Newspaper

Tag: vandalism

  • How to win war against pipelines vandalism

    How to win war against pipelines vandalism

    Total Exploration and Production (E&P) Nigeria Limited is always at the forefront of the fight against pipeline vandalism and bombing of other facilities of oil companies in the crude oil and gas-rich Niger Delta.

    The oil giant again exhibited leadership in the oil industry, when it organised in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, an awareness workshop on campaign against vandalism, with the theme: “Environmental Safety Awareness on the Danger of Vandalism of Pipelines/Oil and Gas Facilities,” for youths from the oil giant’s host communities in Rivers State.

    One of the benefiting youths, Bright Green, who is the President of Pipelines Committee of Rumuekpe in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers state, in his remarks, called on other youths to avoid vandalising the facilities of oil companies.

    Green admonished the management of Total oil firm to be holding the workshop quarterly, for the young ones and other Niger Deltans to learn more about the evils of vandalism.

    A resource person, Dr. Emma Ogueri, while also speaking, urged Niger Delta youths to have positive identity for themselves, especially by acquiring qualitative education or having skills through learning trades.

    Ogueri said: “Do not fold your arms and allow some youths to vandalise facilities of oil companies in your communities. Our environment is our common heritage, we must protect it.

    “Our future generation depends on the present generation. Support healthy living. Vandalism is over-action in action. Let us dialogue. No gain, neither dividend nor payback in vandalism. Just stop it.”

    Another resource person, Bently George, noted that crude oil from vandalised pipelines would go into the water table, which he said would become dangerous to human health, stressing that vandalism would lead to environmental degradation and pollution.

    The Deputy General Manager (DGM), Community Affairs and Development of Total E&P Nigeria Limited, James Urho, in his welcome address, stated that strangers would not vandalise oil companies’ facilities in Niger Delta communities.

    He urged people of the crude oil and gas-rich communities not to relent in scaring and reporting vandals within and around facilities of multinationals in their areas.

    Urho’s remarks came barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari declared in Abuja that people without expertise would not be able to travel 70 kilometres offshore in the Niger Delta to bomb pipelines of oil companies.

    The Total’s DGM, while addressing the no fewer than 300 youths, including women, pointed out that the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the oil giant and its stakeholders must be respected, for peaceful coexistence.

    He said: “The issue of vandalism of oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta has been of great concern, not only to the companies, but most importantly to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is because hydrocarbon and its products are the main source of revenue towards the growth of Nigerian economy.

    “The campaign against vandalism should be adjudged as very crucial at this point, when Nigerians are battling with economic recession. Vandalism of facilities in our local environment has affected our means of livelihood, while destroying the ecosystem.

    “The effects of vandalism are enormous. Apart from damage to the environment, there could be instant death of the vandals from pressure effect.”

    Urho also revealed that there had recently been incidents of vandalism of oil and gas facilities in some of Total’s operational areas, which he said had caused serious environmental damage and in most cases affected socio-economic strengths of the various communities, while urging people of Niger Delta communities to say no to vandalism.

    End will definitely come to vandalism of the facilities of multinationals in the Niger Delta by militants and other restive youths, when the people of the various communities cooperate with the oil firms, security agencies and other stakeholders, to halt the menace and not to be collaborating with the saboteurs for pecuniary benefits. A word is enough for the wise.

  • FG deploys mobile app to stem power theft, vandalism, extortion

    The federal government has reiterated its determination to stem vandalisation of national assets and infrastructures through all available legal means, including technology.

    The assurance followed the launch of an internet-based application for electricity consumers that allow users to send real time messages and video images for instant response from the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC), Distribution Companies (Discos) and security agencies.

    The National Security and Crime Reporting App, known as Hawk Eye App was the result of a partnership between NERC, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Huawei and Web Asset Ltd.

    According to Kayode Aladesuyi, Web Asset Ltd’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the application was structured for complaints, information, tip-off and rescue among other features.

    He said: “People stealing power through illegal tapping or stealing of electricity cables have caused greater problems for efficient and regular distribution of power nationwide. Stealing power is a great challenge, tapping power for free is detrimental to national development. Over 115 people died from live wire electrocution in 2015, which is regrettable because such incidents can be prevented if neighbours or witnesses have avenues to make reports for instant response from relevant authorities.”

    The representative of NERC, Abdul Mohammed, Deputy General Manager (Engineering Standards) said the application was not only to ensure the safety of electricity infrastructures nationwide but also to bring electricity consumers closer to the Discos and NERC.

    Harry Cui, who represented the technical partner, Huawei also guaranteed the success of the application saying that the country’s land mass and infrastructure challenges has made the usage of the application expedient.

  • Power sector loses 4,368Mw to vandalism

    Power sector loses 4,368Mw to vandalism

    The Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) yesterday suffered a colossal setback losing 4,368 mega watts (Mw) as a result of vandalism of gas pipelines.

    It was learnt that the attack at 06:00  yesterday led to the closure of  Geregu I and II, Alaoji NIPP and Odukpani.

    It was also gathered that there was another vandalism on the Escravos Lagos Pipeline Service (ELPS) line and Trans National Pipeline (TNP) that increased gas constraints and  impacted generation negatively.

    Besides, it was gathered that the attacks reduced power supply by 275Mw.

    It was learnt that on the day under review, the Service Operator of the Transmission Company of Nigeria ( TCN) sent out 3,001Mw to the 11 distribution companies (DisCos).

    The electricity market however recorded 0Mw line constraint, 0Mw water management constraint, and 0Mw water management constraint.

    Were there no losses, the sector would have evacuated 7,369Mw to the DisCos.

    Following the losses, the NESI lost about N2.09 billion.

    “On November 29 2016, average power sent out was 3001MWh/hour (down by 275MWh/h). The reported gas constraint was 4368Mw. The reported line constraint was 0Mw. The reported high frequency constraint is 0Mw. The water management constraint was  0Mw. The power sector lost an estimated N2,096,000, 000 on November 29 2016 due to constraints.

    “ Geregu I and II, Alaoji NIPP and Odukpani were shut down as at 600am this morning due to gas constraints. Low spinning reserve may indicate lower grid stability. Further vandalism on the ELPS line and Trans National Pipeline (TNP) has increased gas constraints and  impacted generation negatively. Review of MDA debt submissions underway by the Office of the Vice President,”a source said.

    Meanwhile, in its bid to tackle the paucity of fund in the power sector after a court litigation stalled efforts at increasing its tariff, the Ministry is now brainstorming on other ways of raising revenue for the sector.

    A source said the Minister of Power, Works and Hosuing, Babatunde Fashola has asked the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power to come up with other ideas of injecting more money into the sector.

    According to the source, the government is going to have a recourse to metering, accounting and insistence that the DisCos become efficient to boost their revenue collection.

    Following the new directive, the ministry has resolved to treat international customers like any other customer on the grid since they undertook to work on the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Nigeria Bulk ElectricityTrading (NBET).

    Government has however, directed that the Market Operator (MO)  to collect its arrears from international customers and remit to generation companies via NBET and service provider through the MO.

  • 22 suspects arrested for vandalism in Kaduna

    22 suspects arrested for vandalism in Kaduna

    Security agencies in Kaduna have arrested 22 suspects for allegedly vandalizing and stealing solar street lights installed by the Kaduna State Government.

    Special Assistant to Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan disclosed on Wednesday that 19 of the 22 suspects have already been charged to court.

    Aruwan, who reiterated the state government’s commitment to prosecuting anyone found vandalizing or stealing public properties, stated that, “security operatives have arrested 22 suspects for vandalizing and stealing of Solar Street Lights. Scrap Iron Scavengers fixed by the State government. Others in the net are buyers of the stolen properties within the metropolis.

    “After careful combing of the crime scene, Solar Batteries and their covers and one iron saw were recovered inside the Cemetery along Bashama Road, Tudun Wada area of the metropolis.

    “The operation which lasted for two days raided all Scrap Iron Vendors, Roadside Solar Battery Sellers mentioned in the deal. Items recovered during the raids include Solar Panels, Armored Cables, Vehicle spare parts and Textile materials suspected to have been stolen were recovered from the suspects.

    Those arrested are: Nazif Mohammed, Aminu Isa, Yusuf Tukur, Imrana Yusuf, Ibrahim Ahmed, Shamsudeen Jibrin, Sani Idris, Abdullahi Bashir and Ahmed Sani. Others are: Adamu Najib, Annas Mohammed, Abubakar Abba, Abubakar Umar, Suleiman Nasir, Uzaifa Saffiyanu, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi, UsmanAbubaka, Adamu Ahmadu, Abdullahi Musa and Abubakar Kule.

    He also revealed that, the suspects and the items recovered were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State Police Command for further investigation to establish the criminal profiles of the suspects for possible for various offences for prosecution.

    He also warned vandals to desist from these dangerous acts, as the state government will prosecute anyone found vandalizing or stealing public property.

     

  • ‘Electrified walls ’ll check pipeline vandalism’

    The Federal Government should build electrified and non-electrified walls round  oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta region to protect them, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, has said.

    This is coming on the heels of the Federal Government’s victory over militants, including pipeline vandals, in the region.

    Olawore said the walls would be different in structure, adding that the idea would help in warding off attacks against the pipelines. He said while one of the two walls would be in electronic format, the other would not, adding that the idea will curtail the activities of vandals.

    He said: “Two approaches or methods need to be adopted if government really wants to curb pipeline vandalism and other untoward practices that affect oil production and exploration activities in Nigeria. The first one is building of electrified wall round pipelines, while the second is building of wall that is non-electrified round pipelines. Electrified walls are found to be useful in many of the developed economies.”

    Olawore, who spoke at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said  government-owned assets including oil installations require maximum security in view of their strategic importance to the economy. He said the environment in which oil marketing firms and other organisations in the downstream subsector of the industry operate was more challenging, urging the government to do something on it for growth.

    According to him, the process of acquiring land for investments in the industry was cumbersome as well as hindering growth. “Apart from the fact that operators are finding it difficult to get land for investment purposes, they are also battling problems such as huge taxes and levies. They are paying different forms of taxes to the three levels  of government – Federal, state and the local government. The three tiers of government collect the same tax from operators,  resulting in multiple tax collection from the operators. The issue is affecting the industry’s capacity to record growth. By the time the operators factored in the cost of materials, taxes and other levies on their production, they are left with small profits,” he added.

    Also, the Chairman, Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chief Chinedu Okoronkwo, said oil marketers, among others, operate in a difficult environment caused by the recession in the economy. However, he said problems in the industry were surmountable, adding that operators will overcome them soon.

    The marketers,Okoronkwo said, were getting used to the government’s directive on fuel importation and buying of foreign exchange (forex) from multiple sources as well as recording growth.

    He said activities in the downstream segment were picking up, adding that marketers were free to import fuel into the country. “The prospect is bright for operators in the sector. With time, the deregulation would benefit all the operators. Before, many members of IPMAN struggled to get fuel to sell but now there is an improvement. I believe the gains recorded by marketers would trickle down on other players in the industry soon,” he said.

  • ‘Vandalism, lack of fund major ills of power sector’

    Pipeline vandalism and illiquidity are the biggest problems confronting the power sector, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Oil Limited, an indigenous oil and gas firm, Thomas Dada, has said.

    In an interview, he said though   pipeline vandalism had  taken the sector many steps backwards,  lack of fund due to huge indebtedness to operators had become worrisome, adding that the government was the biggest debtor.

    He blamed the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) for the paucity of fund.

    According to him, the DisCos neither meter customers properly nor collect bills from them. ‘’Operators of the DisCos didn’t do what they promised when they took over those distribution companies. The reality is that many electricity consumers don’t pay for the power they consume, he said.

    To him, the transmission segment of the power sector value chain is the weakest. He said the NBET sat on millions of dollars, yet the sector was collapsing. He questioned the reason NBET would not use that fund to rescue the sector, noting that channelling that money into the sector would be fine.

    He advised the government to support the power system for at least 10 years, subsidise it to enable power supply become stable. When consumers get used to stable power supply, the sector could then come up with a tariff hike, he added.

    ‘’There is resistance to electricity tariff increase because consumers are getting little supply but paying more. He urged the Federal Government to use the money saved from oil subsidy removal to positively ensure that the power sector is improved meaningfully.

    Dada said: “Gas equals power and equals economic growth,” noting that in a country where there is no gas and no power, the economy would break down.

    He warned that until gas is adequately produced for domestic use and power generated and distributed properly, the diversification of the economy which is the yearning of the people may be far from being attained.

    Thomas said: “We are not going anywhere with state of the power sector. We have to do something far-reaching. NBET can’t be sitting on that kind of money and the sector is crumpling before our very eyes.”

    Dada said the government got it wrong through wrong policies, even those wrong policies were inconsistently applied. Since independence, he said, the country had generated only maximum of five gigawatts of electricity.

    “The government has no business running business. The power sector is not a social service, it is a business and it has to be allowed to run as a business. We have to respect sanctity of contracts. We have to keep our words, and not when an investor puts in his money today, tomorrow the rule is changed.”

    According to him, when gas production for domestic use is reduced, the power available for the economy is also reduced. ‘’We need to solve the problem of vandalism and lack of liquidity in the sector. The pricing of gas is just not adequate to earn the returns and attract investment we yearn for as producers,’’ he added.

    He urged the government to summon the political will and do something constructive to arrest the situation, adding that the government needs to do something sustainable to ensure that the gas-to-power value chain was rescued from total failure.

  • Vandalism: power dips by 4,446Mw

    Vandalism: power dips by 4,446Mw

    Power supply on Sunday dipped by 4,446Megawatts (Mw), following attacks on gas pipelines by various militant groups in the Niger Delta.

    As a result, the Nigeria System Operator (SO) of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) could only send out 2,902Mw to the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

    The Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)  on its website yesterday, said there was no water constraint on the day in review.

    It however, noted that the electricity sector which recorded 214Mw line constrain, lost an equivalent of N2,237,000,000.

    “On July 24, 2016, average power sent out was 2902Mwh/hour (up by 43 Mwh/h). The reported gas constraint was 4446Mw. The reported line constraint was 214MwW. The water management constraint was  0Mw. The power sector lost the estimated equivalent of N2,237,000,000 on July 24, 2016 due to constraints,” it said.

    Where there no constraints, the electricity market would have supplied 7,562Mw to DisCos but the gas and line challenges keep holding down the power sector.

    The NESI had said on July 17, 2016, average power sent out was 2670Mwh/hour (down by 100 Mwh/h).  The reported gas constraint was 4200Mw. The reported line constraint was 438Mw. The water management constraint was 0Mw. The power sector lost the estimated equivalent of N2,226,000,000 on July 17, 2016 due to constraints.”

  • Pipeline vandalism: We are our own enemies

    The rising incidence of pipeline vandalism in the South-south by some Niger Delta militant groups should be a source of worry to not only the federal government but also all well-meaning Nigerians who are concerned about the economic survival of the nation.

    It is in a way, akin to self-immolation when people, take up arms against their nation and the environment and the well-being of their own people, for whatever reason, anticipated gain, or even provocation, especially as such acts often lead to collateral damages that offer no meaningful benefit, but inflict collective pain on all.

    It is on the basis of such unconscionable engagements that many draw the conclusion that Nigerians are their own worst enemies. Of course, there is no doubt that some of us hurt ourselves, hurt our environment and the economy more than any foreigner could have done.

    Records, for instance, indicate that since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, most conflicts and the horrendous human and economic devastations the nation had grappled with were all self-inflicted, as a result of internal crises. In the particular case of the Niger Delta, the weird ideology of these elements in going about their odious mission, has so far failed to convince many, whether in the region, or even in their immediate communities and elsewhere, on the propriety of their actions.

    Such collective disgust also trails their criminal activities, hence they have not been able to elicit any genuine sympathy or support from any part of the country. What has been their lot rather, has been an outpour of condemnation from the region and across the nation.

    Also of importance here is that while the government loses billions of dollars in revenue as a result of these vandalisms, the integrity of the already degraded region’s environment is further compromised due to the spillages from the damaged pipelines. The actual impact of this self-inflicted pollution and the overall damage to the health of the people is often hard to be quantified in tangible forms.

    These destructive tendencies also play out in every facet of our nation in variant degrees, with different shades of devastation. It is particularly disturbing that rise in the despicable exercise comes at a time the nation’s economy is at a precarious situation, as a result of global collapse of oil price, which has led to serious economic crunch, with the country’s current Gross Domestic Product (GDP) crashing to a 25-year low of -0.36 per cent from 3.96 per cent same period the previous year, according to a recent document released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics.

    It is thus, disheartening that it is this time that the country is suffocating that the deviants in the already environmentally degraded Niger Delta, are choosing to blow up oil pipelines in the region.

    Their nefarious actions have led to a further slide in the nation’s revenue, thus, adding to the collective hardship on Nigerians that have had to bear the brunt of the nation’s dependence on oil mono-economy.

    Apparently miffed by the sheer brigandage and the far-reaching negative impact of the actions of the vandals on both the economy and the already devastated Niger Delta environment, Brig-General Paul Boro (rtd), Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), rightly stated that “pipeline vandalism is an avoidable self-inflicted agony. It is unreasonable to engage in such criminal activity not only because of the resultant economic effect on the country but particularly as it also negatively affects the Niger Delta environment”, adding that those involved in the nefarious activities “are economic and environmental saboteurs”.

    Also, Governor Seriake Dickson of Beyelsa State, while addressing traditional rulers in the state over the vandalism issue, brought the message further home emphasising that “every pipeline that is blown up in the state is a direct attack on the revenue base of Bayelsa”. Who else would understand the adverse effect of dwindling revenue than the governor who has not been able to pay salaries of his state’s workers for several months?

    While the impact of long years of neglect by successive governments has reduced the region to grave environmental decay, abject poverty and psychological injury, some positive steps have also been taken by the federal government, since the return of democracy in 1999, to address the genuine agitation of the region.

    These included setting up the Niger Delta Development Agency (NNDC), Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, by the administrations of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua, respectively. These agencies were designed to address the poor state of the region by fast-tracking development and ultimately bringing succour to the impoverished region.

    But have these interventionist agencies been able to meet their mandate of physical and human capital development of the region? Or has the oppressive system that services the interest of the few elite in the region eroded the overall interest of the people?

    Several indices indicate a systemic decay that bothers on the character and integrity of successive drivers of the interventionist agencies. In fact, the alleged poor work ethics and the lackadaisical attitude of the contractors handling projects for these agencies and apparent lack of willpower by the heads of these agencies and the organs of government that oversight their activities are in the public domain.

    For instance, there was a recent disclosure about the discovery of tons of expired drugs in an NDDC warehouse. These multimillion naira drugs, procured with government resources, which were supposed to be delivered to various health facilities in the region, never left the warehouse until they expired.

    That amounted to loss to the people and waste of government resources. The only persons that benefit from such wastes are the dubious indigenous contractors and their insider-friends that ensured they got the contract. When things like these happen, they reinforce the argument that we are our own enemies.

  • Chaos as hoodlums vandalise 10 cars, destroy houses

    Chaos as hoodlums vandalise 10 cars, destroy houses

    No fewer than 10 cars were vandised by suspect cultists on Tuesday at Olafimihan, Mariamo Ajoke and Okunade Street, Ilasamaja-Mushin, Lagos.

    The incident occurred around 10:25pm, when one of the hoodlums approached a young girl for love and the girl refused his proposed.

    A resident, who declined to give her name, said: “We are all outside taking fresh breeze, when some boys stopped a young girl and start ‘toasting’ her and the girl snub them. One of the boys then come from behind and slap the girl.”

    The mother of the girl, who was watching the scenario, came angrily to grab the boys and the suspected cultist retaliated with blow on the woman face.

    In order to settle the fight, Dino, a trader, came to the scene to make peace was stabbed on the head by hoodlums.

    “I didn’t have any intention to fight the boys, I was born and raised here. All I wanted to do is to make peace reign. I didn’t know they are with bottle, they smashed it on my head and ran away,” he said.

    The Nation gathered the suspect cult gangs make a reprisal around 12:00am as they started threw bottles at houses and damaging windscreen of vehicles parked along the streets.

    When our reporter visited the battle area, broken bottles and burnt tyre are seen disperse the streets.

    A man with cutlass, suspected to be one of the securities in the area, said: “It was a sleepless night for me and my colleagues, some hoodlums, numbering about 14, armed with cutlasses and bottles invade the street, throwing bottles to houses and smashing windscreen of car parked.”

    The security man further said the cult gang left when and he mobilized some of his colleagues.

    “Parading the street to checked the damaged done, I notice they went other round to jump fence from Afa Nda Street to Olafimihan with the aim to rob Alhaji house.”

    The hoodlum took to their heels when police came and fire guns in the air.

    One of the residents, whose car was vandalised, said she did not know her car had been wrecked by the hoodlums until one of her neigbour come to woke her up from sleep.

    “Mama Kayode, came to woke up on Tuesday morning that my vehicle had vandalised. I was think maybe a car bash my vehicle, until they told me its hoodlums.”

    Another resident, who also had his car windscreens destroyed during the riot, said while he was parking last night, he notice a noise argument.

    “I got home last yesterday due to terrible traffic, as I was parking my vehicle. I heard a gunshot and noise. I thought it’s just a play, I woke up this morning and my car was terrible damage.”

    An aged-women, identify as Mama Shotayo, cry for help.

    “Please ooo, tell Police to leave my three children; they are not involved in the fight ooo. They want to settle the fight ni ooo”

    Residents called on the police to provide adequate protection to the residences.

    However, the case was said to have been reported by one of the resident at Olosan Police Station, Mushin.

  • 11 fishermen re-arraigned for pipeline vandalism

    Eleven Eleven fishermen were yesterday re-arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged pipeline vandalism.

    They are Sidi Egbayelo, 31; Sunday Shadrach, 41; Edem Okon, 32; Godwin Kofa, 30; Rosemon Neito, 32; Ejona Kpamkpam, 25; Moses Victor, 30; Chris Sunday, 31; Peter Gay, 23; Remo Uchugwu, 25; and Mike Sabato, 31.

    They are standing trial on a four-count charge of conspiracy, vandalism, stealing, and unlawful possession of petroleum products.

    The accused were first arraigned on February 7, 2013 before Justice Musa Kurya and they all pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Kurya granted them N2 million bail with two sureties each in the like sum and started their trial.

    But, yesterday, they were re-arraigned before Justice Rabiu Shagari, following Justice Kurya’s transfer from Lagos.

    They again pleaded not guilty.

    Ruling, Justice Shagari granted them bail on the conditions earlier set by Justice Kurya.

    He adjourned the case till June 13 and 14.

    In the charge, the accused are said to have committed the offence on December 21, 2012.

    The prosecutor, Mr Justin Enang, said the accused were apprehended at 1a.m. on the same day at Atlas Cove in Lagos, where they allegedly engaged in unlawful extraction of petrol.

    According to Enang, about 220 drums of petrol were recovered from the accused, who allegedly obtained the product from a vandalised pipeline for illegal sale.

    He gave the product’s value as N5.3 million.