NNPC Gas Pipeline Leak Threatens Okrikans

A visible pall of apprehension and  tension has engulfed Ibuluya Community in Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State following a gas leakage from a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in the state.

Residents of the community are now living in fear that the leakage might result in possible explosion at the slightest ignition.

Some community members who spoke said the community risked extermination by a looming pipeline fire, adding that the ugly trend poses serious threat to their sources of livelihood and lives.

They blamed the leakage on lack of maintenance of the pipeline by the NNPC.

Reacting to the incident, the Chairman, Ibuluya Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Remember Chukwudi, said the leakage poses obvious threat to the people, and called on relevant authorities to put a stop to the ugly incident, which also occurred in 2012.

Also commenting, the Ibuluya CDC Secretary, Mr Dagogo Otta blamed the leakage on laxity on the part of NNPC Management.

He said the leakage posed serious environmental hazard to the people, with the immediate surrounding choked in gas already.

Otta said the NNPC management had instructed the community not to ignite naked flames, adding that this has affected the staple of the people who now survive on snacks and other improvised meals.

The CDC Secretary also said the leakage has resulted in power blackout in the community.

According to him, “if something is not done to address the issue within the shortest time possible, the community may be left with no option than to stage a peaceful demonstration as law-abiding citizens.

However, the management of NNPC has blamed the gas leakage on illegal bunkering and vandalisation of the pipeline.

According to NNPC spokesman, Raph Agwu, the leakage has been clamped, and the affected area put under surveillance, while the safety of the people was also guaranteed.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Okrika Local Government, Barr. Tamuno Williams has pledged his commitment to ensure a lasting solution to the frequent gas leakages from the NNPC/PPMC pipeline in the area.

The Chairman, who personally assessed the affected area, also called on the people of Ibuluya to remain calm and law-abiding, and assured the affected community that the council would take proactive steps to ensure that NNPC/PPMC adhere to extant environmental laws on finding lasting solutions to the environmental issue.

The Chairman also formed a five-man special committee on environment, headed by Prof Kingdom Abam and Barr. T. T. Wakama as secretary respectively to fashion a strategy for addressing the menace of environmental pollution in the area.

Other members include Chief Zeb Obipi, Dr Godpower Wakama and Prof Iyobu Siminialaye.

The committee is to ascertain the causes of frequent pipeline leakages in the area and come up with proactive solutions

Taneh Beemene