By Chris Otaigbe
Victims of Abule-Egba pipeline explosion have received relief from the Lagos State Government, as the 300 were empowered with vocational training for them to be self-employed.
The Director-General (DG), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the training would prepare them for life after leaving the Internally Displayed Persons (IDPs) camp at Igando.
Oke-Osanyintolu told NAN, on the sideline of the graduation ceremony of the trainees, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, that the state government had provided equipment to all the victims, having acquired necessary skills and vocation in several crafts.
According to the DG, this is part of the steps to prepare them for reintegration back to society after the unfortunate explosion that disrupted their lives.
The graduation, he explained, was taking place after four weeks of intensive training conducted by officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, in partnership with LASEMA.
He said the four-week training has enabled the participants to acquire requisite skills and knowledge in different vocations that included soap making, batik/tie-and-dye, hairdressing, fabric design, Ankara craft, throw pillow, event decoration, catering, stoning and make-up/gele-tying.
“The training started on June 15 and is terminating today, after their six months sojourn in LASEMA’s Igando relief camp where their psychological, physiological and mental well-being had been catered for by the state government.
“Today, 300 beneficiaries received between N150,000 and N250,000 financial assistance. The financial assistance, coupled with the skill acquisition and vocational training programme is for the total benefit of victims toward their easy reintegration back into the society.’’ He said.
Also speaking, the LASEMA Camp Commandant, Mr Bosun Olukolade, described the relationship between officials and the victims at the camps as one of the best in terms of cooperation and compliance to the rules of the camp.
He urged them to emulate the good etiquette they had learnt in the camp, reminding them of maintaining social distancing, avoiding crowd environment among other Covid-19 civil engagement protocols.
Chairman, Community Development Area (CDAs), Abule-Egba Pipeline, Mr John-Taiwo Okunebe, commended Lagos state government, LASEMA and other stakeholders for their support throughout their stay in the camp.
Okunebe commended the state government for providing working tools to the 300 victims, who participated in different skills to help them face the society again.
He, however, pleaded with the government to provide good roads around the pipeline areas to curb the illegal vandalism, adding that illegal activities of hoodlums had resulted in the explosion which had rendered many of the people homeless while some lost their loved ones.
One of the beneficiaries, 15-year-old Michael John, appreciated the government, promising to establish himself on catering skills that he had learnt.
Another beneficiary, Ms Abraham Cecilia, a 28-year-old single mother said she was grateful for the opportunity rendered to her by the state government.
Cecilia added that although she loves fashion, “now I can make hairstyle and get some money to care for my three-year-old baby.” She said.
She said that during her six months stay at the camp, she learnt how to relate with many people and to be tolerant of others.
Evangelist Olasunkanmi Ibitola, who lost his building during to the explosion, said he could make soap and was ready to expand the soap business.
NAN recalls that a pipeline exploded in Abule Egba area at about 8p.m. on Sunday, January 19, killing some people and displacing scores others.
Abule Egba has experienced numerous pipeline breaches that had resulted in fatal explosions and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
One of the earliest incidents was the 2006 pipeline explosion, which occurred in one of its heavily populated neighbourhoods on 26th December, 2006, killing hundreds of people. Originally estimated to be around 500 deaths, it was later confirmed that the loss was smaller.
The incident occurred after an elevated pipeline carrying petroleum products was punctured by thieves earlier at midnight (local time), attracting hundreds of scavengers in the district who collected the fuel using plastic containers, allegedly to siphon fuel into a tanker, before puddles of fallen fuel were ignited after dawn.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, while witnesses have stated that the broken pipeline was tapped when the blast occurred.
The number of people killed was unclear, but evidenced to be in the hundreds. Abiodun Orebiyi, the secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross (NRC), at the time, estimated that there were at least 200 dead but indicated that there was no official death toll and was unable to determine the final number of deaths, stating that the NRC “doesn’t know if it is 300, 400 or 500.”
In another explosion, 12 years later in December, 2018, residents of Awori community in Abule Egba area woke up to witness a massive explosion from a Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) pipeline.
The explosion was reportedly caused by residents trying to scoop the petroleum product. Fire fighters were reported have exhausted water from all their trucks and expecting more.
About five casualties were recorded, out of which, four came down with minor injuries while the only person seriously injured was taken to an undisclosed hospital for more intensive care.
Other casualties were said to have been discharged as the fire continued to raze houses behind Tantalizers, Wema Bank and former Mobil/Mr. Biggs Abule Egba.
Within the same month on December 19, 2018, a victim of another pipeline fire which destroyed property running into billions of Naira cried out for help from good spirited Nigerians.
The fire, which occurred at Abule-Egba/Abule-Taylor in Ifako-Ijaiye of Lagos State, was caused by the activities of vandals stealing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the pipeline.
The fire destroyed several houses and a car mart, containing over 16 exotic vehicles of different makes and models.
The owner of the car mart besides Just Rite Mall at Samar Petroleum Filling Station Abule-Egba Junction, Lagos, James Adeosun, also denied reports that he died during the incident.
In an interview with PM NEWS, published in its May 2, 2019 edition, Adeosun said he is still alive but struggling to survive since the unfortunate incident.
According to his account, Abiodun collapsed when he saw the magnitude of the destruction done to his vehicles. He was later hospitalized at different hospitals for several months. He had since recovered to battle with indebtedness to his clients and banks.
He lamented that the fire destroyed all he had laboured all his life to acquire. “I lost several millions of Naira and seriously indebted to many business partners and clients who trade with me because I don’t own all the vehicles and several properties and documents destroyed in my office. Although the grace of God is there, but living has been very difficult for me since that incident because it sent me out of business and as a family man, it’s a big calamity on my family,” he stated.
Yet again, another pipeline exploded on January 19, 2020 in which two bodies were recovered from the explosion site of a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline at Ile Epo axis of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Lagos Territorial Office, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN reported that the raging fire caused panic among the residents of Abule Egba, Ile Epo and Ekoro Road due to the thick smoke which oozed out from the explosion scene.
Farinloye said that several buildings and articulated vehicles were engulfed in the inferno which happened on Sunday night, noting that the cause of the incident was not ascertained. It will be recalled that a similar incident had occurred on December 5, 2019, after some suspected pipeline vandals disrupted the Atlas Cove-Mosimi Pipeline, part of the System 2B Pipeline at Peace Estate, Varies, in Idimu axis of the state.
While commending Lagos State government for the rehabilitation of victims of the incidents, the government should go a step further to improve security in the affected area and its adjoining neighbourhoods to prevent further breaches of petroleum products pipeline planted in those areas. Otherwise, there will be no end to the vandalization of sensitive Petro-product pipes and the consequent hell it traditionally unleashes on its immediate neighbourhoods with untold destruction to lives and properties.
