Pipeline Vandalism: NOSDRA Sensitises Communities On Dangers

The Director General and
Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Sir Peter Idabor, said the organisation has commenced enlightenment and sensitisation programmes for oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta to create awareness on the dangers of pipeline vandalisation.
Idabor gave this indication  while speaking with Aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, shortly on arrival from Bayelsa State where the programme took palce.
He disclosed that NOSDRA decided to kick-start the awareness campaign in Bayelsa State based on the number of oil spill cases in the state.
The director general said the team paid a courtesy visit on the Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Seriake Dickson, who lauded them for the initiative and  promised to partner the agency.
“We are talking with all those governors in whose domain oil production is taking  place. One of the things we want to do is to see how we can create awareness on the issue of oil spills and get the people to know the dangers associated with getting in contact with crude oil either through the skin or allowing it get into the water,” he said.
NOSDRA chief executive, said the visit took the team to Okordia Zarama to inspect series of oil spill cases that has taken place in the area recently and interacted with the people of the community.
According to him, “we have spoken with them to discourage them from tampering with pipelines, and highlighted the inherent dangers on their health and that of their generations to come.”
Idabor assured the community that their grievances with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) would be looked into to bridge the gap while insisting that their staff would be sent to supervise remediation work on the spill sites.
He noted that the NOSDRA team also met with the Joint Task force (JTF) commander in the area who hinted that some vandals have been arrested as part of efforts to reduce the trend.
The NOSDRA boss, further disclosed that the agency is aware that some of the vandals are building metallic tank farms for the storage of the petroleum products, and attributed poverty and greed as responsible for involvement in the illegal activity.