14 January 2015, Sweetcrude, Lagos – The Federal Government is set to clear all structures obstructing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s, NNPC, right-of-way across the country.
The Public Affairs Manager of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, Mr Nasir Imodagbe, stated this in Abuja, saying government has already issued an order asking owners of such structures to vacate their locations.
He said the mandate of PPMC was to clear obstructions to secure the company’s right-of-way.
The spokesperson, who decried the high level of encroachment on the right-of-way, said that there would be no compensation for anyone whose structure is demolished.
He said that those encroaching on the stretch were illegal occupiers of government land because they had no approval from government before they built on the pipelines’ right-of-way.
He explained that oil pipelines passed through the way and that no structure was expected to be on it. “Any structure on it is illegal,” he said.
He said demolition had already been carried out on the stretch in Lagos and some areas in the northern part of the country, adding that those who encroached on the company’s right should therefore stay clear and not wait for the demolition team to arrive.
While stressing that government was poised to reclaim the entire oil pipelines right of-way, he stressed that the aim was to stem the activities of vandals on the pipelines.
He said the plan was also to keep those areas safe for law-abiding citizens and to safeguard installations and infrastructure built with tax payers’ money.
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