By Francis Sadhere
The people of Gbaramatu community in Warri South West local government area of Delta State has told the Nigerian Gas Company NGC, whose pipelines exploded on Saturday to count the ccommunity out of the incident.
They said the pipeline may have ruptured due to equipment failures just as he blamed incident on enemies of the Gbaramatu people, Daily Post can report.
The Acting Secretary of Gbaramatu Traditional Council, Chief Godspower Gbenekama who spoke to our correspondent in Warri said nobody should drag Gbaramatu community into what happened.
Gbenekama who was reacting to alleged claims by the NGC that the gas pipeline may have due to third party interference stated that, ” The Gbaramatu people have no reasons whatsoever to ” bridge” and ” destroy” any pipeline or government facilities its domain.”
” The pipeline may have ruptured due to equipment failure or by our enemies. We smell rat here.”
Gbenekama noted that the NGC did not carry the Traditional Council along when it embarked on Inspection Exercise of the ruptured gas pipeline which situated few meters away from Camp 5 near near biggest military base in the Niger Delta particularly in Benikrukru Community, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Gbenekama also stated that the NGC should include the Gbaramatu Traditional Council in its forensic analysis stressing that they sense foul play.
Gbenekama explained that the gas pipeline ruptured at the same time when the military was testing weapons along the waterways thereby causing serious tension within the area.
He pointed out that,” Nobody, not even the militants have claimed responsibility for the ruptured pipeline. The Gbaramatu people have no reason to bridge or destroy government facilities” he emphasized.
Gbenekama expressed fears that some unknown persons may have ruptured the gas pipeline especially now that the Nigeria Maritime University has been approved just to scuttle the who processes citing security challenges with a view to give the Gbaramatu people bad names.
While calling on the Federal Government to ensure that a repeat of ruptured gas pipeline does not occur near the military formations again, Gbenekama condemned the destruction of government facilities in Gbaramatu Kingdom.
Gbenekama who absolved the Gbaramatu people of any wrong acts, vowed that they will deploy their intellect to avoid a reoccurrence of ruptured gas pipelines in the area.
The Gbaramatu Scribe concluded by saying that the kingdom is at peace with the Government and it’s working hard to sustain the peace in the region especially in Gbaramatu for the take off of the Nigeria Maritime University.
