Imemo Samiama, the Country Director of Stakeholders Democracy Network, an NGO, on Thursday said pipeline vandalism cost the Federal Government, oil companies and communities about $14 billion in 2014.
Samiama disclosed this at a research validation and roundtable on pipeline vandalism organised by SDN in Abuja.
He said the environmental damage to communities in the Niger Delta was immense with an estimated 51,500 hectares of land devastated by oil spills last year, following pipeline vandalism.
According to Samiama, the Federal Government and other stakeholders need to join hands and dialogue on the issues pertaining to pipeline vandalism and its cost to the nation.
He said: “Nobody has really paid attention to the real cost of pipeline vandalism and the negative effect in the communities.
“Rather, they are concentrating on the level of production in oil sector.
“In the area of environment, pipeline vandalism has caused lot of damage and has serious negative impact on human health.
“How can one measure the impact of the pipeline vandalism on the livelihood of the people and measure such as a contribution to urban migration and destruction to social lives of the communities?
“These are things one cannot even imagine – long term impact and the cost to the people living in such areas.
“It is something everybody should look into and come out with something positive.”
Samiama also urged government to review and reset the relationships among the government, oil companies and the communities as a first step to tackle pipeline vandalism.
According to him, if the step is being handled accordingly, it will enhance the maintenance of oil production and reinforces peace in the Niger Delta.
Samiama also called the new administration in the country to act quickly to address rising agitation of Niger Delta people to pipeline vandalism and its impact on the environment.
He added that the step would reduce instance of heavily armed, well-resourced individuals and groups threatening the security of the oil industry and national income.
He said: “We believe that efforts to reset relationships between government, oil companies and communities can lead to new social contract in the Niger Delta.
“A sustainable approach to tackle pipeline vandalism will develop local institutions and economies, increase employment and lift many out of poverty.
“It will also lead to reversing of the current incentives away from vandalism and toward pipeline and environmental protection.”
Also speaking, Alagoa Morris, the Head of Environmental Rights Action, an NGO, said the most worrisome was that the oil companies that ought to be the major stakeholders on the issue do not show concern.
Morris said many NGOs were making efforts to ensure that oil companies send delegates to dialogue with the people, but that this had not brought the desired success.
He added that agreement among the oil companies, government and the communities would tackle pipeline vandalism if the oil companies were ready to dialogue with the NGOs.
NAN.
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