Pipeline vandalism: Power outage looms as NIPP drops by 1,000mw

The r‎ecent attack on major oil pipelines in Warri area of Delta State by suspected Niger Delta militants has caused colossal damages to the National Integrated Power Project.
This has resulted to a loss of about 1,000 megawatts of electricity generated by gas.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Senate.
It could be recalled that last week, suspected Niger Delta militants blew up‎ the Abiteye flow station and Sagara Chevron pipelines in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.‎
The Joint Committees on Gas, Upstream and Downstream of the Senate, le‎d by Senator Tayo Alasoadura, on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction with the activities of pipelines vandals.
It added that it is very disheartening that at a time when all hands should be on deck to revive the economy, some are people are bent on sabotaging the efforts of government.‎
At a briefing, Alasoadura said: ‎”It is very disheartening that at a time when all hands should be on deck to revive the economy and ensure the survival of the country, some people could decide at this point in time in the history of the nation to further sabotage the efforts of the present administration to bring some sanity into our country.
“It is therefore apt for the Senate to condemn strongly and make an ambiguous language this dastardly act that portends to send the hands of the clock backwards.”
According to Alasoadura, this sabotage has led to the shutting down of the two refineries that had just started working few months back, saying the militants should give respite to Nigerians so that they can see some governance.
He said: “It is not good enough for an administration to be fighting one war there and they are waging another there.
“When will he (President Muhammadu Buhari) have time to govern?
“So please help us appeal to them (militants) so that Nigeria can move forward.”
Alasoadura equally appealed to the militants to stop what he termed a mindless act by giving Nigerians the respite to allow this present administration to stem the tide of poverty and want ravaging the people.
Corroborating Alasoadura, the Chairman Senate Commitee on Gas, Senator Albert Bassey, added that the explosion affected the major gas pipelines in the country.
Bassey said the Committee on Gas had invited the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Nigerian Gas Company “and they have made us to understand that the country will be losing over 200 million score of cubic feet of gas on a daily basis, which is equivalent to 1,000 megawatt of electricity.
“This is the gas terminal that supplies Egbin and most of the NIPP along the South Western region of this country.
“In a period where we are grappling with the challenges of domestic gas supply, we believe very strongly that it should be condemned.”