By Tongnaan Dada Bawa, Jos

Apparently worried by the activities of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline vandals, the House of Representatives acting chairman committee on petroleum resources down stream, Hon. Ab’ba A. Anas has recommended death penalty for pipeline vandals.

Speaking when he led other members of the committee on assessment tour of Gombe area operation and Jos depot of the NNPC, the lawmaker said other countries have since adopted the death penalty for pipeline vandals, "Nigeria should follow suit in order to stem the tide of vandalism in the country."

According to him, the committee may have a different recommendation but intend to sponsor the "pipeline vandals death penalty" on the floor of the House saying, "it is unfortunate that Nigeria as a country depend so much on the oil sector and some people (vandals) are busy destroying the sector".

Hon. Abba described as unfortunate a situation where by the NNPC equipment which ought to undergo turn around maintenance on a yearly basis were neglected for the past ten years saying, such ugly development would no longer be acceptable.

Meanwhile, the Gombe area manager of NNPC, Mr. Ngangodoma Gbiawan said pipeline vandalism had now become a national phenomenon posing a major challenge to the area operation, often leading to its inability to deliver petroleum product to Nigerians.

He suggested that the lawmakers should enact a law which would allow for stiffer penalties against the vandalization of petroleum pipelines.

The manager, however, told the committee that most of the equipment such as standby generators, pumps, storage tanks and safety equipment among others, were commissioned some time 13 years ago and they were now obsolete, adding that, "the Gombe area operation is being run with improvised spares".  

Also, the Jos depot manager, Mr. Garba Lyenyapwa noted that the distribution of petroleum products through pipeline had been adjudged as the most convenient, effective and efficient but the increasing act of vandalism across the country has hampered their operations and they were left with no option than to distribute the products by road using trucks.