Business
Checking Pipeline Vandalism In Nigeria
Iheanyi Udah is a 35-year-old farmer living in Onicha-Amiyi, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State.
The man is always eager to tell any willing listener how his two hands became severely burnt.
“One day in 2004, I just returned from the farm and saw several people in my village scooping fuel from a vandalised pipeline. I joined them but at a stage, an explosion occurred.
“Several people were burned to death while some lucky ones like me survived with severe burns; it is by God’s grace that I survived the fire incident,’’ he said.
“Even if you offer me N1 million to go near a vandalised pipeline again, I will bluntly reject it because it is evil and deadly. Such escapades bring death within a split second. People should avoid getting involved in pipeline vandalism,’’ he added.
Udah‘s experience reflects the experiences of many others who have encountered fire disasters at some vandalised sections of petroleum pipelines which traverse the country.
Prior to the Onicha-Amiyi incident, concerned citizens recall the pipeline inferno in Jesse, Delta State, in 1998 that left scores dead and wounded.
To avoid the recurrence of such incidents, the management of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) recently launched an anti-pipeline vandalism campaign to sensitise neighbouring communities to the risks and dangers of pipeline vandalism.
Mr Tony Ogbuigwe, the company’s Managing Director, urged the communities to assist in efforts to check pipeline vandalism.
“Pipeline vandalism can lead to oil spills, which can also lead to degradation of the environment. It can also pose health hazards and if there is fire, it can also cause deaths,’’ he said at the inauguration of the campaign in Okrika, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Ogbuigwe, who was represented by Mr Ralph Ugwu, the company’s Public Affairs Manager, pledged the company’s readiness to stage sustained public awareness campaigns on the dangers of pipeline vandalism.
However, Ajomiwe Ezuma, a historian, identified poverty as one of the root causes of pipeline vandalism in the country.
‘Poverty in the land has driven people to rupture pipelines in search of petroleum products. I must confess, it is a very risky venture but people, out of sheer desperation and frustration, still embark on it.
“More public enlightenment campaigns should be carried out to educate the people, especially those living in communities around the pipelines, on the dangers of pipeline vandalism.
“Some pipelines may be carrying gas, crude or refined petroleum products like petrol, kerosene or aviation fuel but the volatility of the pipelines’ content does not matter to the desperate people who jettison the risks involved in pipeline vandalism,’’ Ezuma said.
Concerned citizens note that many people have died in the jungles, creeks or seas while vandalising oil pipelines.
They say that attempts to rupture a high-pressure oil pipeline usually provoke instant fire, adding that the development often leads to the burning or death the perpetrators, who could even be swept away by sea tides.
Ezuma urged the communities to organise in-house campaigns for the residents, particularly youths, who were often tempted to partake in pipeline vandalism because of their “get-rich-quick’’ worldview.
“ It is the duty of the communities to prevent their people from falling victim to the effects of pipeline vandalism,’’ he adds.
He stressed that apart from the loss of lives due to infernos at vandalised pipelines, the environment became damaged, while the national economy was sabotaged whenever an oil pipeline was vandalised.
Ogbuigwe, nonetheless, stressed that the PHRC campaign would expose all the dangers inherent in pipeline vandalism to the people of Okrika and other communities more lucidly.
“ The campaign, which is primarily targeted at exposing the evils of pipeline vandalism; is also targeted at enlightening the people about the evils of the aberration,’’ he said.
“We also want to thank the people for being hospitable hosts over the years we have been operating here. There is peace and harmony and we received their total support.
“We urge the people to continue to support us, so that, in concert with them, we will operate the refinery for the benefits of our people here and the nation at large,’’ Ogbuigwe said.
Mr Alfred Orupabo, the Secretary of Okrika Local Government Council, also urged the people to be mindful of the dangers of pipeline vandalism.
“Pipeline vandalism is evil; it is dangerous to the environment, the people’s health and the nation.
“We will cooperate with the PHRC to ensure that pipeline vandalism does not occur here. People must refrain from it because of its very deadly effects,’’ he said.
Mr Robert Obizie, an official of the PHRC’s Community Relations Unit, said that the public awareness campaign would be a continuous activity until the communities and their residents were adequately sensitised on the issue.
“It is a very big task but we believe that through our constant engagement with the people via public enlightenment activities, the people will be able to absorb our message that pipeline vandalism destroys lives, the environment and the country’s economy,’’ he said.
Mbonye writes for NAN.
Mike Mbonye,
The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), the country’s satellite operator, has called for immediate promolgation of policy action that will enable the country to harness the potentials of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
NIGCOMSAT, also warned that Nigeria risks missing out on Africa’s projected $1.2trillion share of the global AI economy by 2030.
Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, disclosed this in a statement issued at the weekend following her participation in the Meeting of the National Council for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, economies, and societies worldwide, with projections that it will contribute up to $15.7trillion to the global economy by 2030. Africa stands to gain $1.2trillion of this if the right policies and innovations are in place”, Idehen said, citing a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.
The NIGCOMSAT MD underscored the transformative potential of AI in agriculture, highlighting its applicability in Benue State, widely regarded as Nigeria’s “food basket.”
According to her, machine learning tools could revolutionize agricultural practices by improving pest detection and optimizing planting schedules using satellite imagery.
“AI offers us the chance to not only flourish economically but also to achieve food security. However, we must ask ourselves if we are prepared to manage this technology responsibly”, she added.
Idehen also noted that internet access remains a significant barrier to AI adoption in Nigeria.
“For AI tools to be effective, basic digital infrastructure is essential. Addressing this gap must be a priority.
“AI is happening. We have the opportunity to manage this technology revolution responsibly, both in Africa and globally, through innovation and governance”, she said.
In August 2024, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy released a draft National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, aiming to position Nigeria as a global leader in AI.
Corlins Walter
The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Chief David Omereji, has said the council has so far spent over N1 billion for the electrification of communities in the area.
Omereji said this while addressing staff of the council at the council headquarters recently.
He said the move was part of his administration’s resolve to ensure peace and development of the LGA.
According to him, the Council spent about N29 million on monthly basis for the maintenance of the Emohua Local Vigilante group known as OSPAC, with each member being paid a stipend of N100, 000 monthly.
He diaclosed that 11 out of the 14 wards are currently enjoying electricity, while efforts are on to light-up the remaining ones.
“I also want to use this opportunity to inform the political class for purposes of records and for the understanding of the people that the Council under my watch have done more than enough”, he said .
The Emolga boss explained that all that have been achieved were through the personal effort of the Council, without support from anybody as rumoured in some quarters.
Omereji further reaveled that a number of other projects, including roads, fencing of schools, hospitals, courts premises, and reconstruction of some abandoned buildings at the Council Headquarters are being undertaken by his administration.
He enjoined the people of the area to support his administration’s drive to bring purposeful development to the LGA.
The Emohua Council boss, who reiterated his hatred for noise making, stated that his works would speak for him, and solicited the support of staff of the council and the entire people of the area.
He noted the fact that some people may not be happy with his achievements, saying that he would remain focused, while advising critics of his government to do so constructively with facts and figures.
King Onunwor
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has raised some ethical questions over a Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara Energy and West African Gas Limited (WAGL), an affiliate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
MOSOP said the agreement was not done in good faith, not in the interest of the Nigerian people, and did not follow due process.
Foremost Ogoni born activist and MOSOP leader, Fegalo Nsuke, who made this known in Abuja, weekend, described the Sahara-WAGL deal as fraudulent, deceptive and an insult on the intelligence and integrity of the Nigerian nation.
Nsuke called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to cancel that FTSA between Sahara Energy and WAGL, noting that the agreement is fraught with irregularities and deceptive.
“What Sahara and the NNPC did in the FTSA between Sahara and WAGL is shameful and depicts high level corruption in public service of our country.
“WAGL is an affiliate of Sahara and the NNPC. How then can Sahara go into an agreement with its own affiliate? It’s as good as going into an agreement with itself. This is deceptive and fraudulent”, Nsuke said.
He continued that “Sahara Energy is certainly not a company the Ogoni people want on their soil and we are calling on Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to terminate any deal between the NNPC and Sahara Energy over OML 11, and to allow for an inclusive arrangement that considers a fair treatment of the Ogoni people in the distribution of revenues from natural resource extraction on Ogoni soil.
“The last Ogoni Congress has been unequivocal on the Ogoni demand for justice and has given a clear path to resolve the three decade old conflict between all critical parties.
“It will be good to explore this path to peace and development for Ogoni and for our country”.
Nsuke accused Sahara Energy and the NNPC of frustrating the progress made by MOSOP to achieve a permanent solution to the Ogoni problem.
He urged a presidential intervention with deep consideration for a fair treatment of the Ogoni people in order to permanently address the problem.
He noted that Sahara Energy should give up on the Ogoni area to allow for an engagement in the interest of the country and the people.
Recall that MOSOP and Sagara Energy have recently been engaged in a row in what MOSOP describes as an unholy relationship between Sahara Energy and the NNPC over OML 11.
MOSOP expressly rejected Sahara Energy and called for a fair treatment of the Ogoni people in natural resource extraction in Ogoni.
It noted that Ogoni people, led by MOSOP, paid the sacrifice to take the oil from Shell, hence “the position of MOSOP must be taken into consideration in decisions relating to resumption of oil production in Ogoni”.