NUPENG to FG: Use military personnel to protect oil pipes

The Federal Government has been urged to deploy military personnel for protection of oil pipes to safeguard them from constant vandalism.
South-West Chairman of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, made the call in Lagos on Thursday.
He stressed that protection of the pipes should be given priority.
Korodo said if the nation’s pipes were well protected by the military, it would be difficult for militants to penetrate and blow them up.
The chairman said marketers in oil sector and government were losing billions of naira due to vandalism.
He said the recent bombing of pipes in Niger Delta led to the closure of Port-Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
According to him, this has led to the stoppage of loading of petroleum products at NNPC depots in Mosinmi, Ejigbo and Ibadan.
Korodo said the convergence of petroleum tankers in Apapa for loading had resulted in gridlock, adding that it would lead to scarcity if not checked.
The chairman appealed to Federal Government to expedite action on the repair of vandalised pipes so that work would start in the two refineries.
Militants blew up the Abiteye Flow Station and Sagara Chevron line pipes in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta on January 14.
The attack came few hours after multiple explosions rocked several oil installations between Ikpokpo and Odidi flow stations, mostly in Gbaramatu Kingdom.
These led to the closure of Kaduna and Port-Harcourt refineries by NNPC.