Oil Company Wants Nigerian Army To Guard Pipelines

By Mohammad Ibrahim

Kano (Nigeria) — Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Idi Muktar Maiha said has condemned the incessant attacks on Warri-Kaduna pipelines, describing such as the greatest threat to Oil and Gas industry in the country.

The MD therefore called on Nigerian government to declare the warri-Kaduna pipelines military zones in view of its strategic national importance.

According to him, the pipeline needs to be highly secured to guarantee continuous supply of crude oil to KRPC.

Mr. Muktar made the plea in Kano, while presenting a paper at the ongoing 4th KRPC/NUJ (Nigerian Union of Journalist) training for Kaduna Energy Reporters’.

He emphasised that if KRPC was to achieve the target of operating at a minimum of 80 per cent, a new pipeline is needed to ensure delivery of sufficient crude oil to meet that target.” A major challenge facing KRPC is the incessant vandalism on Warri- Kaduna pipeline and in fact it is one of the greatest threats to KRPC’s performance. This line needs to be highly secured to guarantee continuous supply of crude oil to KRPC. We have advocated for the pipeline to be regarded as a ‘ Military zone’ in veiw of its strategic national importance,” he said.

Recently, Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group has carried out attacks, bombing pipelines and other oil installation in south-south Nigeria. These have affected the country’s supply of crude oil across the country.

Earlier NUJ Chairman, Kaduna State Council, Garba Muhammad said the media is not unaware of the current challenges facing the Oil sector in Nigeria, especially the ceaseless attacks on oil installations by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

He therefore urge the media to rise against saboteurs by focusing attention on the activities of vandals by investigating and exposing their sponsors in order to overcome the problem.

The chairman equally commended the KRPC management for sustaining the training for energy correspondents, saying such training will assist media practitioners to report the oil and Gas industry better.