Revenue loss to pipeline vandals

The recent report that Nigeria lost a whopping sum of N150.5 billion in revenue, in eight years, to pipeline vandalization is disturbing. According to the report by the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the country recorded 12,770 cases of pipeline vandalization between 2000 and 2007.

The report states that the highest number of vandalization was in 2006 with 3,674 cases in which the nation lost N36.646 billion. The heaviest loss of N42.102 billion occurred in 2005 from 2,237 cases. In 2000, a total of N10.121 billion was lost in 984 cases while in 2001, there were 461 cases resulting in the loss of N3.867 billion. In 2002, there was a loss of N7.971 billion from 516 cases. The 779 cases in 2003 led to the loss of N12.986 billion while the 895 cases of 2004 resulted in N19.66 billion loss. The sum of N17.24 billion was lost in 2007 to 3,224 cases of vandalization.

It is incontrovertible that the high incidence of pipeline vandalization in the country is largely due to political and socio-economic reasons. The fact that the preponderance of these disruptions occur in the Niger Delta region depicts the political nature of the problems.

Since the pipeline fire in Jesse, Delta State, on July 10, 2000 in which 250 people lost their lives; vandalization of pipelines has become a recurring national malaise in the country. For instance, on November 30, 2000, a ruptured pipeline in Ebute, near Lagos, killed not less than 60 people. Similarly, on June 19, 2003, oil theft led to the explosion of pipelines in a village, near Umuahia killing about 125 people.

There is no doubt that at the heart of all these brigandage and economic sabotage is the raging Niger Delta problem. That these vandalizations occurred between 2000-2007 is never coincidental. It tallies with the period the Niger Delta people became much aware of the neglect and degradation of the region despite its being the source of the national wealth.

Besides the Niger Delta agitation, there is an army of unemployed Nigerians who indulge in these nefarious activities to get even with the society that seemingly does not care for them. Other Nigerians that engage in pipeline vandalization do so because of greed and the urge to make quick money.
The nation cannot continue to lose this kind of revenue year after year to these unscrupulous Nigerians. The amount so far lost can go a long way in addressing some of the problems in the Niger Delta as well as those of the larger Nigerian society. We therefore urge the federal government to muster enough political will to tackle the festering restiveness in the region even if it means allocating 25 percent of the oil revenue to the oil-producing states.

Neglecting the Niger Delta problem or treating it with mere palliatives is like postponing the doomsday. Therefore the Umaru Yar’Adua administration should be proactive in addressing all the injustices of the federation for which the Niger Delta problem is on top of the list.

The government should act fast because hunger and unemployment are fast driving many Nigerians to acts of lawlessness and brigandage. All forms of social resentment and deviant behaviour arising out of our socio-economic inequities should be addressed to ensure the overall stability and wellbeing of the Nigerian society.

In addition, there is the need to enlighten the populace on the dangers of pipeline vandalization to the individual, the nation and the society. It is a fact that in the long run, nobody benefits actually from such economic sabotage. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to checkmate the incidence of pipeline vandalization in the country. The government should also evolve modern techniques of laying fuel pipelines that would make them secure from any intrusion while the civil defence and members of the community where pipeline pass through should be among those guarding them.