Panic, tension grip Ijegun community over pipeline leakage
Oredola Adeola
Kudeyibu Estate Community Development Association, Ijegun, Lagos is currently gripped by fear of explosion as pipeline leakage has been detected in the community.
In a letter sent to EnergyDay Nigeria by the CDA Chairman, Mr. Muyiwa Akinwunmi on Thursday, the community said it had made several efforts to reach the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), the state Government and other relevant agencies without any success.
In a save our soul letter to the state government, the CDA said, a 10-meter long petrol pipe along the ever busy Ijegun/Ijedodo pipeline road by Fatade/ Ayinde Street junction, in Ijegun, has for long been exposed to the elements, with hundreds of articulated vehicles running over it on daily basis.
“We have contacted state agencies and functionaries , yet, none of them have hearkened to the plea of the community with respect to repairing the said leakage till today; and are yet to put up any action that will avert an imminent catastrophe of pipeline explosion which we pray will not occur again in our community , having experienced three different explosions with attendant loss of lives and damages of properties in recent time.
Speaking with EnergyDay, Mr. Akinwunmi said, “We have tried to cover the exposed pipeline by ourselves, but soldiers came here threatening to arrest us for any work done on the affected area.
“We are already in serious panic. We have reached out to the Lagos State Government and the NNPC”, he said.
“Some officials of the Lagos state government visited recently, claiming to be from the Governor’s office in Alausa, Ikeja. We don’t have their identities, but we were asked to write a letter to them, promising to intervene.
“We need urgent assistance , because very soon, the rain would soon start. The impact of the exposure of the pipeline will be more, further endangering the lives and properties of community people.
”The officials of NNPC’s Depot at Ejigbo claimed that they are not in-charge of the exposed pipeline. But, we may visit the depot on Monday, to confirm whether they are the people who used to visit the site”, Akinwumi said.
“We will take our protest to them to get them to talk to us and get the pipeline fixed. Whosoever is in charge should come over and get this fixed to avert loss of lives.
The community however appealed for urgent intervention from the NNPC management and the state government, to avert explosions.
Calls made by EnergyDay to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) through Mr Paul Osu, head of Public Affairs, were not answered. Dr.Oke-Osanyintolu Damilola, Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) was not also available as at press time, as several calls made by our correspondent to him, were not answered.
