The House Committee Chairman on ISOPADEC, Oil And Gas, and Member Representing Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency in the Imo State House Of Assembly, Hon Dr Francis Uzoma Osuoha, has condemned the pipeline vandalisation and explosion in the Ohaji area of the Local Government, which led to the loss of many lives.
Dr Osuoha, who visited the site of the explosion in Obitti community of Ohaji, to ascertain the extent of damage, expressed regret over the loss of lives resulting from the explosion.
While commiserating with the families of those who lost their lives, he called for effective surveillance on oil pipelines right of way along Obitti, Ihi, Umuapu and Awara communities, to forestall further occurrence.
Dr Osuoha also while cautioning the youths in the area against getting involved in criminal activities, such as pipeline vandalisation, acknowledged the impact of the explosion on the affected communities whose main source of living is farming, wherein several acres of farmlands were affected.
Illegal oil bunkering activities have continued to go on in Obitti, Ihi, Umuapu and Awara communities of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government area despite efforts of government to put a stop to it. Concerned persons from these communities have severally cried out to oil companies in the area to guide the oil pipelines right of way. The recent explosion occured due to holes dug by vandals in the pipeline right of way, in an attempt to siphon oil into standby petroleum tanker.
Therefore, while calling on vigilance and collective efforts to protect the communities from vandals who are causing the economic sabotage, Dr Osuoha prayed that such ugly incident would not find its way into communities in the local government.