The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Thursday refuted the allegation that negligence on its part caused the oil
pipeline fire incident that resulted in the death of many people in Umuaduru and Umuimo
communities in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State last week.
The corporation said in a statement from its Group
General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja that
the incident was triggered by suspected oil thieves who had hacked into its
System 2E pipeline network to intercept the flow of petrol from Port Harcourt
to Aba in Abia State.
Ughamadu explained that the clarification became
necessary following recent statement by a legislator indicting the NNPC on the
fire outbreak which had claimed lives and valuable properties.
He stated that the presence of items such as jerry
cans among others at the scene of the incident as contained in the preliminary
report on the matter indicated that the activities of vandals in the area
ignited the flame, and not negligence on the part of the corporation.
He said the corporation was worried that incessant
vandalism of pipeline facilities along the System 2E Pipeline Right of Way
(PROW) has led to the underutilisation of its Enugu Depot.
According to him, the breaches have prevented the
corporation from pumping fuel into the pipeline.
Ughamadu thus called on relevant government
agencies to collaborate with the corporation to appropriately criminalise
vandalism of oil facilities across the country, adding that host communities
should also partner the NNPC to end the act.
The general manager equally prayed that should God
reposes the souls of the innocent ones who perished in the incident, even as he
warned members of the public against tempering with oil facilities which he
described as inflammable.
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