Before Lagos becomes history

                   

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) grants licenses to oil companies to build and operate petroleum products' storage tank farms in Ijegun, less than two kilometers from Navy Training School, which houses the biggest military armoury in West Africa, in a deal, which experts say placed Lagos, Nigeria's commercial nerve center, on keg of gunpowder. LEGENDARY ENERGY JOURNALIST, Adeola Yusuf reports.

Lagos map

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State

An epithet written on the mass grave of not less 100 people who were burnt to death on May 15, 2008 appears boldly on a mausoleum at the junction of Ijegun to welcome any visitor to the sleepy town. This faded green-and-white painted plaque reads: “Here lies the body of victims of the Ijegun fire outbreak which occurred on Thursday, May 15, 2008. May your innocent lives, including children scampering for safety, perished in the pipeline fire outbreak, rest in perfect peace.” Ijegun has arguably witnessed high rate of pipeline fire/explosion in Nigeria but the hapless town may be in for the mother of all disasters.

Fuel storage tank farms are springing up in this town, less two kilometres from Naval Training School, Satellite Town in Lagos, which house the biggest military armory in the entire West Africa sub-region.
Findings by Daily Independent revealed that the fuel storage facilities, built by Star downstream company have begun operation, while Deepwater, another downstream oil company has started construction of its tank farms at the site.
Seven other companies who have allegedly been licensed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) will deploy construction engineers to site.
The statistics by Daily Independent shows that more than 2, 200 people have been killed by pipeline fire since 2000 in Nigeria, the world's eighth largest oil exporter and Africa's top producer.

Sitting on keg of gun powder

Abdullahi Sobola PhD, a chemical engineer and lecturer at the Lagos State University told Daily Independent that both the tank farm and the armory storage facilities for products have high chemical compositions.

“Although I do not know the grade of explosive at the armory, all we know is that explosives just like petroleum products have high combustion rate due to their high level of chemical compositions. It may be very wrong to site the two within close proximity,” he said.

This and other anomalies are usually detected and avoided through the globally accepted Environmental Impact Assessment (IEA).

The purpose of the assessment is, according to Sobola, to ensure that decision makers consider the ensuing environmental impacts when deciding whether to proceed with a project.

“The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental impact assessment as "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made."

“EIAs are unique in that they do not require adherence to a predetermined environmental outcome, but rather they require decision ­makers to account for environmental values in their decisions and to justify those decisions in light of detailed environmental studies and public comments on the potential environmental impacts of the proposal,” he said.

The chemical scientist said: “EIAs began to be used in the 1960s as part of a rational decision making process. It involved a technical evaluation that would lead to objective decision making. EIA was made legislation in the US in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1969.

“It has since evolved as it has been used increasingly in many countries around the world. As per Jay et al.(2006), EIA as it is practiced today, is being used as a decision aiding tool rather than decision making tool. There is growing dissent on the use of EIA as its influence on development decisions is limited and there is a view it is falling short of its full potential.There is a need for stronger foundation of EIA practice through training for practitioners, guidance on EIA practice and continuing research.”

Safety, security at risk 

Commodore Richard Okeke, a retired Commodore of the Nigerian Navy disclosed while fielding questions from Daily Independent near his Satellite Town home that the safety and security of people around the area within 40 kilometers-range are at great risk.

The Security expert who doubled as the Chairman, Security committee for Satellite Town Central Residents Association (STCRA) said while addressing newsmen at the federal civil servants club, Satellite Town that five (5) out of twenty (20) Local government in Lagos-Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Apapa, Alimosho, Amuwo odofin, Oshodi Isolo local governments may be sweep out of the map of the state with this impending catastrophe.

“This has a very damaging high security implication,” he said.

Although the Commander of the Nigerian Navy School, Ojo, Commodore SAG Abbah could not be reached for comment, a top-raking Naval officer who craved anonymity in a chat with Daily Independent when our correspondent visited the Naval Training School in Ojo disclosed that the Naval authorities is "deeply concern about this great threat and I can tell you that the Chief of Naval Staff has informed the minister of Defence on this aberration."

We don’t want to die, Residents cry out

Already, retired elder statesmen and federal civil servants who are residents of the 44 government, Company and Private estates, and 77 closes around the area on Tuesday cried out to the federal and Lagos state government to swiftly avert the impending calamity.

The residents alleged shoddy deals in the issuance of license by DPR. They wondered why the statutory Environmental Impact Assessment (IEA) was not conducted before the licenses to build tank farms were issued.

Rising under the auspices of the Satellite Town Central Residents Association (STCRA), the residents called on the Department of Petroleum resources to immediately withdraw the licenses given for these tank farms.

President of the association, Felix Egbamuno told Daily Independent that the residents who have served Nigeria in different capacities as well as other Nigerians are sitting on undeserving get of gun powder.

"The global standard is that tank farm or any fuel storage facility should be cited 25 nautical miles away from the armament depot. But our case here is pity-evoking, tank farms are built less than two kilometers from the biggest armament in West Africa here at the Navy Training School, Ojo," he said while addressing a press conference.

Clad by his vice President, Mazi Tony Ohakwe, Chairman Board of Truste (BOT), Rufus Ogunedojutimi, Publicity Secretary, Aron Ukodie and the Financial Secretary, Adeyinka Adewale, Egbamuno said: "Residents of this area who are retired Permanent Secretaries, retired Managing Directors of government agencies and parastatals as well as other Nigerians are alarmed by the installations of Petroleum Tank Farms in the residential area of Ijegun, which is contagious with Satellite Town. Nine Petroleum Tank Farms are said to be licensed for operation in the area and three of them are being built while one has been in operation."

He continued: "These are serious threats to life and property as one accidental fire outbreak can completely eliminate the community.

"We therefore use this medium to appeal to Lagos state and federal government to urgently review the licenses for these Tank Farms operation to avert dire consequences to our lives, property and environment," he said.  

The traditional ruler of Ijegun, Oba Nureini Akinremi, is obviously in support of efforts to ensure that the community no longer witnesses any fire disaster in spite of its proximity to fuel pipelines, the tank farm and the armory at the Navy Town.

While absolving his people of complicity in several pipeline vandalism, which led to huge explosions and fire in Ijeododo community, Akinremi told Daily Independent in his palace that he was not aware of any environmental Impact Assessment for the Tank farm.

Deaths of their neigbours, countrymen

At least 100 people were killed and scores injured when fuel from a pipeline ruptured by a bulldozer caught fire and exploded on Thursday May 15, 2008 in Ijegun, Lagos, the Red Cross said.

Observers note that the country has experienced a catalogue of pipeline explosions with dire consequences.

For instance, on October 18, 1998 a pipeline explosion occurred in the sleepy community of Jesse in Delta State, killing more than 1, 000 people and earning it the infamous number one spot for such disasters in the country.

In the Jesse tragedy, only a few of the victims were recognisable and their bodies released to their relations. The rest were given a mass burial.

The Abule Egba pipeline explosion in Lagos on December 26, 2006 remains number two as it claimed close to 500 lives. It also destroyed one sawmill, several buildings and vehicles because the flare-up occurred within the city.

A year after, December 2007 to be precise, several people were burnt to death while scooping fuel from a vandalised pipeline at Ojo creeks in Lagos.

Although the lagoon into the sea washed many victims of the Ojo inferno, the number of victims who were given a mass burial over a period of one week was close to 250.

On16 December 2010 Ijegun witnessed another pipeline explosion in which about 10 people were feared dead and about 17 declared missing. The explosion occurred in Idu, a few kilometres from Ijegun, where about 100 died in a previous oil fire.

Pipeline vandals ambushed three NNPC engineers and technicians of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, deployed to effect repairs on the vandalised products pipeline in Arepo Village were on September 9, 2012 ambushed, shot and killed.

On Saturday, January 11, at least 10 suspected vandals were, feared dead in another explosion that rocked the NNPC, pipeline at Arepo village, Owode, Ogun State. Daily Independent gathered that the explosion came following a fire, which was sparked off by some vandals who stormed the creeks, by boat to siphon fuel from the NNPC pipeline.

The fireball in the 2008 pipeline explosion engulfed homes and schools at Ijegun village in the Lagos district of Alimosho, and many of the dead, who included schoolchildren, were killed in the ensuing stampede as people fled in panic from the flames.

"About 100 people have so far been confirmed dead from the fire. We have so far rescued more than 20 people with injuries and taken them to hospital for treatment," a Red Cross official at the scene told Reuters.

The disaster was the latest in a series of pipeline explosions or blazes caused by damage or theft which have killed more than 1,200 people since 2000 in Nigeria, the world's eighth largest oil exporter and Africa's top producer.

The pipeline rupture at Ijegun, a village about 50 km (30 miles) from the centre of the sprawling coastal city of Lagos, occurred during work to build a road. A bulldozer moving earth struck the pipeline buried beneath the surface.

"I was returning home when I suddenly saw sparks of fire from where the grader (earth-mover) was working," local resident John Egbowon said.

The fuel leaking from the broken pipe caught fire and exploded, sending people fleeing in panic."

"It was like hell was raining down on us, then everybody started running in different directions," Egbowon said.

At least 15 homes were burned. More than 20 charred vehicles caught in the fire were visible afterwards in the street, as firefighters and volunteers tried to douse the flames with sand and water after the explosion.

Witnesses said that even after the main explosion, the ground around the fire was so hot that shoes melted.

Abandoned in panic, discarded school bags and sandals littered the compound of one school whose pupils had fled. A group of women wailed in grief nearby.

A network of oil and fuel pipelines criss-crosses parts of Nigeria and explosions and fires that kill many are frequent.

In the creeks of the Niger Delta, the country's main oil producing zone, the pipelines are also the target of sabotage attacks by local militants seeking greater control over oil revenues and more development for their impoverished region.

Previous accidental pipeline blasts in Nigeria have been caused by vandals who drilled holes in the feeder lines, used to distribute mainly imported fuel, in order to steal petrol for sale on the black market.

Despite the country's oil wealth, most Nigerians live on less than $2 per day and many are prepared to take huge risks to obtain free fuel.

At least 45 people were burnt to death last December in another village on the outskirts of Lagos when fuel they were stealing from a buried pipeline went up in flames.

One year earlier, 250 people were killed in another pipeline fire in a different area of Lagos.

In such situations, a small number of organized thieves usually drill a hole in a pipeline, but as word spreads others come and try to steal the fuel and fire often breaks out.

DPR’s graveyard silence

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), an agency saddled with the responsibility to grant license to build and operate tank farms has, however kept a graveyard silence over the issue.

Spokesperson for the DPR, Belema Osibidu, a Deputy Director, Public Affairs department of the agency did not pick calls made to her phone on Tuesday.

“(I) Will get back to you” was the content of a reply she sent on Wednesday as a response to an earlier text message sent on Tuesday to her to get the side of her agency.

But a source at the Department who “does not have power to talk to Press,” and therefore carved anonymity told Daily Independent that investigation on the matter showed that “powerful people” have hands in the tank farm. He refused to answer question posed to mention names of the powerful people.

But he stated that the agency has commenced investigation to actually unravel whether the tank farms owners have authentic license or not.

NNPC blames Pipeline fire on vandals

Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu had outline vandalism as parts of the crisis confronting his leadership at the NNPC blaming this for series of pipeline fire incidents in the country.

``We had over 774 break points within three months from August to October 2012 from Atlas Cove to Ilorin depot. Between Atlas Cove and Mosimi depot, we recorded 181 break points, from Mosimi to Ibadan, we had 421 ruptured points and from Mosimi to Ore, we recorded 50 vandalized points. Also between Ibadan and Ilorin we had a total of 122 break points,’’ the GMD stated. 

Understanding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is, according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the environmental, social and economic aspects.

EIAs have often been criticized for having too narrow spatial and temporal scope. At present no procedure has been specified for determining a system boundary for the assessment. The system boundary refers to ‘the spatial and temporal boundary of the proposal’s effects’. The applicant and the lead assessor determine this boundary, but in practice, almost all EIAs address the direct, on-site effects alone.

However, as well as direct effects, developments cause a multitude of indirect effects through consumption of goods and services, production of building materials and machinery, additional land use for activities of various manufacturing and industrial services, mining of resources etc. The indirect effects of developments are often an order of magnitude higher than the direct effects assessed by EIA. Large proposals such as airports or ship yards cause wide ranging national as well as international environmental effects, which should be taken into consideration during the decision-making process.

Broadening the scope of EIA can also benefit threatened species conservation. Instead of concentrating on the direct effects of a proposed project on its local environment some EIAs used a landscape approach which focused on much broader relationships between the entire population of a species in question. As a result, an alternative that would cause least amount of negative effects to the population of that species as a whole, rather than the local sub-population, can be identified and recommended by EIA.

There are various methods available to carry out EIAs, some are industry specific and some general methods:

 Industrial products - Product environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) is used for identifying and measuring the impact on the environment of industrial products. These EIAs consider technological activities used for various stages of the product: extraction of raw material for the product and for ancillary materials and equipment, through the production and use of the product, right up to the disposal of the product, the ancillary equipment and material.

    Genetically modified plants - There are specific methods available to perform EIAs of genetically modified plants. Some of the methods are GMP-RAM, INOVA etc.

    Fuzzy Arithmetic - EIA methods need specific parameters and variables to be measured to estimate values of impact indicators. However many of the environment impact properties cannot be measured on a scale e.g. landscape quality, lifestyle quality, social acceptance etc. and moreover these indicators are very subjective. Thus to assess the impacts we may need to take the help of information from similar EIAs, expert criteria, sensitivity of affected population etc. To treat this information, which is generally inaccurate, systematically, fuzzy arithmetic and approximate reasoning methods can be utilised. This is called as a fuzzy logic approach.

At the end of the project, an EIA should be followed by an audit. An EIA audit evaluates the performance of an EIA by comparing actual impacts to those that were predicted. The main objective of these audits is to make future EIAs more valid and effective. The two main considerations are:

scientific - to check the accuracy of predictions and explain errors.

management- to assess the success of mitigation in reducing impacts.

Some people believe that audits be performed as a rigorous scientific testing of the null hypotheses. While some believe in a simpler approach where you compare what actually occurred against the predictions in the EIA document.

After an EIA, the precautionary and polluter pays principles may be applied to prevent, limit, or require strict liability or insurance coverage to a project, based on its likely harms. Environmental impact assessments are sometimes controversial.

Last line

The primary intention of sitting these tank farms in Ijegun is for business therefore the lives of helpless Nigerian should not be traded for money. Considering the huge losses induced by pipeline fire, especially as regards lives, the government through the NNPC and the DPR, should relocate the tank farms. Failure to do this will present government as a penny wise pound-foolish.