Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has made alternative arrangements to ensure steady supply of petrol across the country just as fire fighters engage a raging fire at Baruwa pipelines.
A serial fire outburst on major petroleum products artery operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Lagos is causing palpable fear of possible shortage of petrol across major states in the south west and parts of north central.
But the general manager, group public affairs of the NNPC, Ndu Ughammadu said the incident would not cause any scarcity.
Ndu, said the Corporation has detailed a team of engineers to effect repair of the affected portion of the pipeline when the fire is put off.
He said the pipeline was engulfed by fire about two weeks ago but was immediately contained and repaired only for another point to burst into flames yesterday.
According to him, only Satellite depot in Lagos would be affected with supply while the repair work lasted.
The pipeline located in Baruwa, a Lagos suburb receives products from the Atlas Cove and Mosimi and transports to other parts of south west.
The fire began shortly after a stakeholders meeting, which include Baruwa community representatives, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the NNPC, and Pentagon Security, a private security company put in charge of the pipeline was held on Saturday June, 15.
Suspected, vandals allegedly breached the facility leading to outbreak of fire on day Monday, June 17.
The Baale of Baruwa, Chief Halid Baruwa, said, “We held a crucial meeting with other stakeholders after I reported several infringements on the pipeline.
Between May and now, I can count about five cases of third party infringement on the pipeline which I promptly reported to the authorities. About two weeks ago, a truck used by the vandals got stuck on the muddy terrain and I informed the commandant of the Lagos State NSCDC, and he arrived the scene and we took photographs and they took the truck away.”
Continuing, he said, the PPMC representatives introduced the new security firm to the community and requested that we nominate ten young men to serve as security support personnel on a monthly pay of N35,000.
“I decided to nominate members of the O’odua Peoples Congress, and during the meeting of June 15, they reduced the number to eight, and when we got to the pipeline area we encountered a set of security men who advised that we should reschedule the resumption date of the new security operatives, and we left only to notice ball of smoke billowing from the pipeline on Monday June 17”.
He said the PPMC and NSCDC were notified and the Lagos State fire service was mobilized to put off the fire.
According to him, the fire was finally quenched on Tuesday June 18, following the intervention of the state fire service.
However, yesterday, again, the community was alerted of fresh fire emanating from the pipeline.
Chief Baruwa, said that security situation in the area is now tense as the vandals are becoming more daring, because of plans initiated by the community to strengthen surveillance around the pipelines.
Mrs. Usman who is in charge of pipeline security with the NSCDC, in her own account said that they got information about the fresh fire outbreak early yesterday morning and promptly detailed operatives to take charge of security and support efforts of the fire fighters.
“We were on ground from Monday up to Tuesday when the first incident was reported and the fire was successfully put off but we were surprised to get the information that a fresh occurrence has taken place.” she said.
Also, one of the community leaders, professor Joseph Ogungbagbe, described the situation as unfortunate, saying that the community had battled with the pipeline incidents since 2004.
Ogungbagbe, said that the entire community suffers various ailments arising from contaminated water from petroleum products leakages.
According to him, the NNPC has refused to accept responsibility that aging pipeline had caused extensive underground water contamination.
He said, “Until the community wrote to the presidency and TETFUND funding a research on the major causes of the contamination. It was a four year research work that eventually proved NNPC wrong, because from our findings they don’t want to stop pumping products so they would reject our position until the research proved that since 2004 after the first vandalism was reported that petrol had been leaking up till today.”