The Okrika Local Government Council of Rivers State will start prosecuting pipeline vandals in its effort to protect oil installations in the area.

The Chairman, Mr Tamuno William, stated this  in Okrika while launching a sensitisation campaign against pipeline vandalism, organised by the Port Harcourt Refinery Company. He said that it was sad that instead of the council maintaining its tourism and rich culture, environmental degradation had become the order of the day.

“Okrika is an ethnic town of tourism and culture, how can we talk of tourism and culture when filth and other types of environmental degradation have become prevalent?’’ he asked.

William called for partnership between the council and NNPC to protect pipelines in the area and save the environment. He said that his administration was planning a policy that would protect all Federal Government-owned companies and their facilities in the area. William condemned pipeline vandalism and said the council was doing all it could to ensure that all forms of vandalism and oil theft were drastically reduced.

“We will ensure that we put it across to Okrika people and those residing in our local government area on the need to stay away from your pipelines and oil installations,“ he said.

William said that part of his plan for next year was to demarcate the pipeline areas but pointed out that the cost would be enormous. He explained that his administration had in its agenda to fence the pipelines with wire-gauze and plant flowers around them to make a green-verge. William said that carrying out the plan would ensure that people would not have access to the pipelines any longer. He said if the NNPC partnered with the council, there were other security gadgets that would be installed near the pipelines that would easily detect anyone going near them.

“If we don’t catch you that time, we will catch you later and I have said that we are going to commence the prosecution of anybody who commits this offence of economic sabotage

“ William said. He commended the refinery for the campaign to alert the people on the dangers of breaking oil pipelines.

William assured that he would meet with traditional rulers to sensitise their subjects accordingly. In his speech, the Deputy Manager, Safety, Port Harcourt Refinery, Mr Uche Nna, said that apart from pipeline vandalism being an economic sabotage, it was also dangerous to life.

Nna said that the fumes coming out of the oil when pipelines were vandalised were dangerous to health.

He explained that even when the oil was not ignited it was also  dangerous as it would cause soil pollution and water contamination.