Leadership (Abuja)
Adesoji Oyinlola
22 May 2008
Abuja — Palpable fears hang in the air of Ijegun community in Lagos , as residents fear a repeat of the ravaging explosion that led to the death of over 100 people and property as they have discovered that the pipeline welded by the NNPC was still leaking.
This is coming six days after the NNPC pipeline fire that engulfed Ijegun area of Ikotun, Lagos, killing several people and destroying property worth millions of naira.
At the scene of the disaster yesterday, NNPC officials were seen battling to fix the damaged pipeline.
Some engineers were sitting under a canopy, in the company of some policemen that had been drafted to man the already barricaded area, brain-storming on what next to do. NNPC engineers at the site seemed to be at a loss over what next to do. They seemed to have been overwhelmed by the leaking pipeline had to put a call through to the NNPC headquarters in Abuja for further instruction. Though the engineers that
A source at the scene, who didn't give his name, stated that though the pipeline had been welded three times, it was disturbing that the pipeline it was still leaking. Consequently, residents, especially those living on Isolo road , were warned by the NNPC officials not to go near the pipeline. Most of the residents who got wind of this warning, immediately fled the area. Some of them said they would not sleep in the area until the pipeline was repaired.
A resident, Mr. Fatunbi, an engineer, told LEADERSHIP met at the site were, not ready to give any useful information, one of them, simply called Felix, said the situation would soon be brought under control.LEADERSHIP that he had already informed the NNPC officials that the welding would not work because the pipes were too old. He said what the NNPC ought to have done was to replace that section of the pipeline. Fatunbi warned of the possibility of another fire outbreak in the near future if the pipeline was repaired.
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