Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, an Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, has urged the Federal Government to reconsider approval for petroleum pipeline routes surveillance across the country.
Gbadamosi, a real estate developer, also “BOG”, made the plea on Saturday when he revisited victims of the Abule Egba area of Lagos pipelines explosion to redeem his pledge of assistance to them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the candidate handed over relief materials, including food stuff and other items to leaders of the victims for distribution.
NAN also reports that the explosion occurred on Wednesday when oil spilled from a fuel tanker siphoning petrol from a vandalised pipeline suddenly burst into flames, razing several houses and vehicles.
The ADP candidate also urged the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to work in tandem with the government to ensure that best hands were given such contracts.
He said that this would forestall continued vandalism and ensure adequate protection of the pipelines.
NAN recalls that Federal Government had in 2015, directed the ex-militants led by Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo and Chief Bipobiri Ajube, to take over surveillance of the Nigerian waterways and oil pipelines.
Also, the late Dr Frederick Fasheun, Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, and Aare Gani Adams, were also beneficiaries of the surveillance when it was taken over from the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on March 16, 2015.
Gbadamosi, however, said that all the existing surveillance contracts of pipelines must be reviewed and new ones considered to ensure adequate protection of the nation’s pipelines and forestall future reccurrence.
“In 2006, almost 300 people lost their lives in a pipeline explosion in the Abule Egba area and its environs.
“This is in addition to other pipelines explosions in Lagos and Ogun where lives and property were lost, not to mention the huge revenue loss to the country.
“Government must ensure that companies or individuals who handle the surveillance are capable to withstand the syndicates that are involved in the vadalism.
“Pipelines vandalism syndicates are not people that anyone can toy with. They must be matched with the same level of intelligence that they use in perpetrating the crime.
“Individuals, groups or companies condidered for such projects must be steps ahead of the syndidates and with the muscle to tackle them, ” he said.
The ADP candidate called for stiffer penalties for anyone or group caught to serve as deterrent to others.
He reiterated calls to residents near the pipelines’ routes to work with the government and security agencies in providing information on suspicious activities around the routes.
