Senate Orders NNPC To Refund N382.2m To Treasury
By OLADELE OGUNTIMEHIN
The Senate has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to refund the sum of N382,2 Million into the national treasury, with evidence of compliance to its Committee on Downstream Petroleum Sector.
The amount which was faulted by the upper chamber was claimed by the corporation to have been spent in firefighting operation during a pipeline explosion in Kom-kom, Rivers State.
The senate on adoption of the report of its committee that investigated the claims noted that the corporation was to be blamed for the fire incident which compelled the senate to mandate NNPC to embark on Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) in re-laying pipelines especially in identified hotspots where erosion has exposed the pipelines to the surface.
The upper chamber also recommended that the NNPC involve members of host communities in pipeline surveillance within their various areas as an interim preventive measure. And there should be deployment of modern technology in pipeline surveillance and detection of leakages as well as the introduction of “cathodic prevention of the pipelines”.
According to the Ad-Hoc committee’s report, the incidences of pipeline explosions in Rivers and Lagos States would have been avoided if the NNPC/Nigerian Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC) and contractors monitoring the pipelines were proactive.
Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, said both NNPC/NPSC and the contractor were aware of the Komkom pipeline leakage in Rivers State, two days before the explosion but delayed in taking necessary action.
The lawmaker disclosed further that both NNPC/NPSC and the Oilserv contractor were aware of the intended activity of the vandals and the leakage a week and a day respectively, before the Ijegun explosion in Lagos State.
He added that security personnel in connivance with NPSC staff collaborated with the vandals to siphon petroleum products from the pipelines.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan in his remarks after the consideration of the report of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Pipeline Explosions during plenary stated that officials of government conniving with criminals involved in vandalising oil pipelines should be sanctioned and prosecuted if identified.
According to the press statement signed by his Special Assistant (press) Ezrel Tabiowo, Lawan said that the National Assembly will amend the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Act to prevent the activities of pipeline vandals that leads to explosions and deaths.
He said: “Our Committee on Petroleum (downstream) should invite the NNPC with a view to know what they have been doing over the years to secure the pipelines; what measures are in place and whether there is need to review these agreements.
Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North) in his contribution to the debate blamed the activities of pipeline vandals on officials of the NNPC, calling for the introduction of punishment for any official of the corporation caught conniving with pipeline vandals.
Another lawmaker, Senator Ibrahim Musa (APC, Jigawa North) said the government should “focus on the criminal rings responsible for the initial pipeline breakage.”
Senator Rochas Okorocha (APC, Imo West), who described pipeline vandalism as an act of economic sabotage, called on the Federal Government to subject the surveillance of oil pipelines to contractual arrangements with private firms.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun (APC, Ogun Central), accused the NNPC of conniving with vandals to sabotage the economy by encouraging the activities of oil pipeline vandals.
“This is not an act of negligence but connivance. The NNPC knows what to do and cannot claim ignorance.
“The NNPC knows from their office when a pipeline is vandalised. I want to support my colleagues that they should be punished.”
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