OREANDA-NEWS. January 17, 2013. Contrary to speculations that the recent fire incident on the System 2B Pipeline at Arepo would cause another bout of fuel scarcity in Lagos and its environs, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr. Andrew Yakubu, has said there is no need for such fears as the ruptured points on the pipeline have been fixed.

Yakubu made this clarification during a visit to the scene of the pipeline explosion at Arepo in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State for on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Yakubu who was earlier briefed by PPMC engineers on site explained that the four points that were ruptured by the product thieves have been clamped and that the Corporation was also working out a way to make the pipeline less accessible to oil thieves and vandals.

“There is no reason to entertain fear about fuel scarcity because we have enough products in Mosimi to last for some days, but beyond that our men have already clamped the four points that were ruptured and there is no fear of disruption of distribution and supply as such. This is a stop gap measure. We just made some observations now on how to make the pipeline less accessible, if we are able to achieve that within the day we will start pumping,” he stated.

Reacting to the allegation of negligence made by the governor of Ogun State, the GMD explained that the Corporation’s mandate is to operate and maintain the pipeline and its right of way and that he has written to the governor in the corporation had solicited for the state government’s collaboration to check the menace.

“We are glad that His Excellency has opened up that he would collaborate with us,” he said.

He called on all state governments to emulate the Abia State government that have mobilized security to protect the pipelines in the state, a situation which he said has turned the Port-Harcourt – Aba pipeline which used to be the worst in terms of vandalism and products theft into the most secured products pipeline in the country.