FG Considers Establishing Pipeline Security Force to Protect Oil, Gas Facilities
By Tobi Soniyi
The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said the Federal Government is considering establishing a permanent pipeline security force to stop vandals from damaging pipelines across the country.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande.
Akande said the vice president spoke at the weekend when he visited the Forcados Export Terminal in Delta State on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari to assess the extent of damage to the facility at the terminal.
Osinbajo said Buhari was very concerned about the damage done to the terminal in February and asked had him to visit and assess the situation which he said was responsible for the recent drop in electricity supply in the country.
The vice president said: “There are efforts being made by the federal and state governments as well as communities to tackle current vandalism challenges”, adding that government was also looking beyond the present situation into what could be done in the future.
According to him, one of the future steps the Buhari’s administration could take to forestall vandalism, is to establish a permanent pipeline security force.
He said such a force, if formed, “would be armed with sophisticated weapons to ensure we contain the vandalism, and overhaul security.”
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