Breaching of oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country is not new. It became rampant in the last 10 years but slowly petered out following the institution of an amnesty programme for Niger Delta militants by the ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua administration. The pipeline vandals, at that time, mostly broke pipelines to steal petroleum products.
But, the attack on the Escravos-Warri-Lagos-Abuja pipeline on January 15 is in a different class. As the bombs boomed amidst indiscriminate shooting of firearms in the Warri South-West Local Government, the attackers damaged the jugular of Nigeria’s pipeline system. They breached the pipeline at three different points at Opudebubor, Okpelama and Kpokpo area, Chanomi Creek and Sahara, behind Chevron Nig. Ltd.
When the smoke cleared, the Olorunsogo Integrated Power Plant and other power plants which receive their gas from the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) lost more than 800 megawatts of power, which is approximately 20 per cent of the nation’s entire power generation capacity. The estimated daily cost of this loss is N391.4 million. The blown up gas pipeline contributes 160 million standard cubic feet of gas daily, which amounts to a daily loss of N78.8 million.
The attack affected the Bonny – Okrika crude supply line which feeds the Port Harcourt refinery and the Escravos – Warri crude supply line which feeds the Kaduna refinery. Both refineries have now been shut down at a time they are making significant contributions of nearly 17 per cent to our domestic fuel supply.
It goes without saying that the bombing of the Escravos Pipeline is a major economic disaster at a time the nation can ill-afford it.
The culprits have not been identified and no one has owned up to the crime. This is, perhaps, the first time that massive bombings designed to cause huge economic sabotage have occurred since the peace agreement between Niger Delta militants and the Umaru Yar’Adua government. To the credit of Yar’Adua and his successor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the amnesty deal has been maintained and peace has largely reigned until the latest bombing.
The resurrection of armed militancy in the South-South region of Nigeria is an evil wind that blows no one any good. It must not be allowed through errors of omission or commission. It would throw the country into economic uncertainties and further complicate its financial difficulties. If the amnesty programme which ended the militancy in the Niger Delta region is having any problem, it should be resolved at a meeting of both sides. We should not leave room for any misunderstanding.
Under no circumstance must the two sides drift far apart or allow a resumption of hostilities. Having an insurgency in the North- East region is challenging enough for Nigeria without the hazard of a second insurrection in the South. Few nations survive fighting on two fronts. The Federal Government must make clear to the beneficiaries of the amnesty programme its current financial handicaps occasioned by the collapse of world crude oil price. We have no doubt that they would show understanding on this matter.
The pipeline bombers committed a heinous crime. They should be sought, found and punished. But, there must not be a generalised punishment of whole communities. A high-handed response to an incident like the Escravos bombing is always tempting. But, it never solved problems in the past and it will not do so now. On the contrary, it has tended to worsen them. Times like this call for tactical investigations, superior intelligence and concerted efforts to win back the communities’ trust, not Rambo-like solutions. The Niger Delta may be a volatile place but its people can always be swayed by reason. The government must strive to retain their trust by acting with restraint and common sense.
Above all, even as the process of bringing the culprits to book and mending fences with the affected communities continue, the pipelines should be speedily repaired so that they can be brought back on stream in the best interest of the country.