Nigeria: FG only interested in oil flows from Biafra: FG calls Avengers’ bluff, repairs NGC pipeline

Armed soldiers escort contractor, personnel and equipment to site By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South South, Egufe Yafugborhi, Perez Brisibe & Akpokona Omafuaire WARRI—THE Federal Government has ignored the threat of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, not to repair oil facilities blown up by the militant group during the period of conciliation for dialogue or risk resumption of hostilities. 

“We are going to redirect and reactivate all our activities if the government, oil companies and their services firms do not heed these modest warnings of not carrying out repair works and suspend the buying of crude oil from our region, as we await the right atmosphere that will engender genuine dialogue,” the militant group had warned on June 13.

This came as suspected kidnappers waylaid the outspoken Ibe-Benimowei (Chief Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama and his wife at Effurun, Uvwie local government area, of Delta State, but he escaped by the skin of his teeth. Vanguard gathered that government was carrying out repairs on the Nigeria Gas Company, NGC, pipeline recently destroyed by militants at Ubefan Creek in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State with a heavy military presence.NDA bombed the said pipeline on Wednesday, May 26. 

It confirmed in a tweet, May 27: “At 11.45 on Thursday, @NDAvengers blew up other NNPC Gas and Crude trunk line close to the Warri pipeline that was heavily guarded by the military.” Community sources confided in Vanguard that soldiers were escorting badges, tugboats loaded with equipment and personnel heading for the repairs of the damaged facility of a NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,on Sunday. Chairman of Kunukunuma Federated Communities, Chief Moses Bebenimibo, who corroborated Vanguard’s findings, grumbled that the contractor carrying out the maintenance, Melcurt Nigeria Limited, did not involve the host community. He sulked at the development, saying that government did not consider his community hosting the facility in any manner. 

Bebenimibo accused the Federal Government of being interested only on the oil that flows in the communities and not the well-being of the people, adding: “They are good in using the military to always intimidate and subdue us in matters that affect us as a people from this end.” Gbenekama, wife thwart kidnappers A Gbaramatu leader, Chief Daniel Ekpebide, confirmed the attack on Chief Gbenekama, saying that he escaped from the gunmen and his wife, whisked away with another person, later broke away too. “It is like God put confusion in their midst,” he added.

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