04 February 2014, Lagos – Some ruptured petroleum pipelines in Ijeggun Imure community of Lagos, that had to be repaired by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), are still leaking, spokesman for the community, Chief Nurudeen Olu-Fatumbi, has alerted.
He told the told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Monday in Lagos, that the community members had noticed that the pipelines were still leaking petrol, in spite of earlier repairs and assurances of safety by NNPC, NEMA and other agencies.
Olu-Fatunbi said there was the need for NNPC to send inspectors there again, for effective repairs and proper clean – up.
“We noticed that the pipes are still leaking and all the workmen of NNPC have already moved out with their tools and equipment, including their trucks.
“We are appealing to the authorities of NNPC, to return to the site and confirm this leakage because we do not want the community to be accused of any pipeline vandalism,” he said.
The spokesman said that residents had started returning to the community and the women had started cooking food in their various homes, after restriction placed on them during the period of an earlier clean-up by the NNPC.
Also fielding questions from NAN, wife of the spokesperson, Mrs Veronica Fatunbi, said that all the women in the community, had to stop cooking as directed by the NNPC during the clean-up exercise.
Fatunbi said they had to be buying cooked food from somewhere else for fear of using their stoves that might cause explosion.
“We have resumed cooking in our homes after the repairs but we are still scared because the pipes are still leaking bit by bit; we are not too comfortable yet,” she complained.
– NAN