OPC blames govt for multiple deaths in Arepo

In from Enite Benjamin …

The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has sympathiseed with the people of Arepo community in Ogun State, on Wednesday’s pipeline fire, which killed more than 100 people, describing the incidence as yet another national disaster to befall the nation.

The groups also lamented that in the last one month, similar deaths were recorded in Ikorodu, Ijedodo, both in Lagos, and in Bayelsa State, all as a result of the activities of pipeline vandals.

The group however noted that the activities of the vandals were permanently restricted for the period of three months that its men protected the pipelines, adding, that it is regrettable that in a little more than one month after its men quit the job, more than 200 deaths have been recorded as a result of the activities of pipeline vandals.

OPC in a statement signed by Yinka Oguntimehin, its Director of Media and Publicity, said “While some people condemned our men and called us names, it is on record that nothing of this magnitude happened during the period of the three months that our operatives secured the pipelines.

“The lesson to be learnt in the latest incident by Nigerians and our government is that government should encourage Nigerians with good ideas to be part of governance. All over the world, citizens are encouraged to be partners in progress with the government in order to move the country forward. This is what our organization tried to represent by presenting ourselves as partners in progress with the government.

“You will recall that while our men worked at the site of the pipeline in Arepo, even the people of the community had a sense of safety, obviously because the presence of our men in the area. But all that sense of safety is gone with the wind once again, with the return of the vandals.

“While security operatives can work to protect the pipelines, but the issue of pipeline protection is much more complex than mere protecting the pipelines. It involves intelligence gathering, which ultimately should involve the people. For sure, this was the strategy that we employed during our time protecting the pipelines. The result of that strategy was our ability to curtail the activities of the vandals.

Read also: NNPC fails Oodua People’s Congress

“Unfortunately, because we have placed politics above matters of national importance, the vandals have resumed their nefarious activities, killing and maiming our people, while at the same time denying the nation of huge sum of income that can be used to develop the country.

“With the unfortunate upsurge in the activities of pipeline vandals across the country, let all those antagonists who viewed our men as thugs and hoodlums cover their faces in shame. Let them come out now to offer their apologies to Nigerians for this avoidable loss of lives.

“However, having said that, it is high time that all hands are put on the deck to find a lasting solution to the incessant and ugly activities of the vandals. Their actions are ill winds that will blow nobody any good”.

Ripples… without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now