FG spends N60 billion yearly to repair, maintain vandalized pipelines -Lai

• Loses 200,000 barrels per day to wanton damage

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The federal government said it spends 60 billion naira yearly to repair and maintain vandalized pipelines.

This is as the government revealed that it lost an average of 200,000 barrels per day to the wanton damage to pipelines.

Speaking yesterday at the 20th edition of the town hall meeting on protecting oil and gas infrastructure in Abuja, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said protecting oil and gas infrastructure was sacrosanct for all.

Lai said the town hall meeting on protecting oil and gas infrastructure was very important, considering that the destruction of infrastructure has socioeconomic and environmental implications.

The  Minister stated that according   to statistics, “between January 2019 and September 2020, 1,161 pipeline points across the country were vandalized.

“Apart from the impact on the nation’s earnings, consider also the environmental problems caused by the incessant vandalism, in terms of freshwater pollution, air pollution, soil pollution among others and you will appreciate the enormity of the problem”.

He explained that, “with oil providing 80 per cent of Nigeria’s budgetary revenues and 95 per cent of foreign exchange earnings, one can only imagine the impact of the incessant destruction of oil pipelines on the economy.”

He maintained that, “to have such laudable efforts of the government thwarted by some unpatriotic citizens through wanton destruction of critical infrastructure is totally unacceptable.

“To have railway tracks subjected to wanton destruction, bridge railings removed, manhole covers pilfered, street lights and other power infrastructure, oil pipelines, telecoms facilities and critical aviation infrastructure damaged or stolen do not augur well for our growth and development.”

He also pointed out that, apart  from endangering the lives of fellow innocent citizens, such unpatriotic acts take a toll on the government’s limited revenue, as it seeks to replace, rehabilitate or totally reconstruct such destroyed infrastructure.

The minister emphasized that, with far less resources, the administration has recorded more infrastructural development than was achieved in all the 16 years of the previous Administration.

He stressed that, “as this government strives to bridge our nation’s infrastructural deficit, we must do everything in our power to stop the wanton destruction of public infrastructure.”

Similarly, the minister of state petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva, said since 2014 an average of about 39 million barrels crude oil is deferred annually due to incessant pipelines vandalism.

“In 2020, about $1.538 billion of revenue was deferred while 37million barrels was lost due to 94 incidences.

“An average of $2.163billion of revenue has been deferred annually since 2014 as a result of incessant pipeline vandalism”.

Sylva who was represented by the GMD NNPC, said the effect of pipeline vandalism has increased impact on piracy, lost of government revenue and human and property damage among many others.

Meanwhile, the minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio and the minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar both revealed  the negative impacts  cause by pipelines vandalization  in their sectors .