Barely two months after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot at Osisioma, Abia State was re-opened, the state government Wednesday alleged moves to shut down the depot again over alleged pipeline vandalism.

The row was sparked by the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC) which has alleged that it has lost 2,656,077 litres of petrol valued at N232,831,709.82 due to new points of vandalism along the pipeline segment from Port Harcourt to Aba.

In a letter dated August 6, 2012 signed by Dr. A. Fagbure on behalf of the managing director of PPMC and addressed to the Secretary to Abia State Government (SSG), the company claimed that it sustained some loses through vandalism on the pipelines segment from Port Harcourt to Aba between July 5 and July 19, 2012.

The PPMC claimed that, “the vandals carried out these nefarious activities undetected” along the Eleme axis in Rivers State and Obuaku and Owaza in Abia State, noting that the “multiple vandalisms” occurred at kilometres 3.38, 3.98, 4.10, 5.10 (2points), 6.3, 7.35, 7.40, 13.4 all in Eleme axis. Along the Abia axis the PPMC said that vandalism occurred at kilometre 19.1 at Obuaku and 26.6 at Owaza.

But, the state Commissioner for Petroleum and Solid Minerals, Chief Don Ubani, at a press conference, faulted the claims of PPMC, saying both his ministry and the military offering protection to oil pipelines have investigated and found that there was no truth in the claims of vandalism.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ppmc-abia-bicker-over-pipeline-vandalism/124841/

useless government always giving excuses for ineptitude

Considering the level of unemployment and poverty in Abia and Rivers states, the expectation that you could build a pipeline between both states, and then go on to appeal that said pipelines should not be vandalised, is at best naive.

They need to spend a bit of money to employ/equip youths (via the various youth organisations in the villages through which the pipelines transverse) on a permanent basis to oversee their protection....with a bonus/incentives given quarterly for a good job done.