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Nigeria loses N105 billion annually to Pipeline Vandals – Presidency

By on November 26, 2012

 

One of the major vices identified as part of the factors militating against a seamless production and operation of the Oil and Gas sector Nigeria’s major forex earner is pipeline vandalization.

A recent disclosure has revealed that the activities of pipeline vandals in the country has cost the Oil-rich Nation a total of N105 billion, adversely affecting the accelerated revenue that comes through production of the crude oil.

According to Thisday Newspaper a high-placed source in the Presidency revealed that there is grave danger resulting from the scourge of this activities that stretches 5,120 kiometres of pipeline locations in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that within the period of 2002-2007 the activities of pipeline  vandals had been heightened to the point that soldiers had to be assigned to various strategic pipeline locations for security purposes especially in the Niger-Delta region.

Also several months ago  one of the major pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at Arepo,Ogun State had come under increase activities of vandals affecting supply of petroleum products  to the axis of the South-West region in the Country .

With the strong case made for increase publicity on the dangers of pipeline vandalization and the beefing up of security in the sensitive areas of the country by the Ministry of Petroleum,it  is hope that the ravaging situation will minimize.

On the issue of the vandalization of pipelines in Arepo last month, the Group General Manager Public Affairs of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mr Fidel Pepple was quoted last month by Thisday as saying “There is need for beefed up security for our staff, whenever they go out to repair pipelines,  because of the activities of the vandals”.