NNPC GMD Asks Communities To Protect Pipelines

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari has reiterated the need for communities close to the nation’s pipelines to be vigilant and report illegal movements along the nation’s assets.

Kyari said this when he appeared on NTA’s ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ on Tuesday.

Speaking on incessant pipeline explosions in the country, kyari noted that attacks on the nation’s Pipelines was due to lack of adequate security along the path of way of the Pipelines.

However, Kyari said the corporation was working to build a stronger partnership with security agencies to curb the menace, stressing that it was necessary for the people in the communities to also report any breach on the right of way of the pipelines.

Recall that the people of Abule-Egba were left scampering for safety on Sunday when vandals breached the pipeline to steal Petroleum product resulting in an explosion in the area which left 5 persons dead.

Meanwhile the NNPC had fully restored the Abule-Egba Pipeline in less than 24hrs has and back on stream.

Kyari noted that Petroleum products are presently flowing from Atlas Cove to Mosimi and also to the Ilorin Depot after the line was shut down to contain the damage on Sunday.

Kyari Accuses Community Leaders 

According to him the recent pipeline explosion in Abule- Egba showed that the communities were complicit in the crime since residents would have seen the perpetrators. 

“These insertions into the pipelines can never be done in isolation. There’s a huge conspiracy of silence around this tragic situation. I mean conspiracy of silence from those who have the responsibility to protect the pipeline & those who watch this happen,” Kyari said.

However, in curtailing this menace, the GMD said the national oil firm is deploying technology to the maximum possibility to ensure the pipelines are deeper and much safer.

Kyari reiterated that the NNPC is keen on sustaining its collaboration with the security agencies in the country.

“We are collaborating with security agencies to curtail the situation. Of recent, the vandals have become so sophisticated as they fight back, until the recent intervention from the Chief of Defence Staff & his team we are very grateful to him for that.

“We are happy with what “Operation Awatse” is doing today because it is sustainable. The efforts they have taken so far have degraded these acts of vandals. We believe that with collaborations such as this, these pipelines will ultimately be safe.”