NOT AGAIN!! -200 dead in Nigeria pipeline blast

...Read the full article.

[e.w]

Here we go again. Who is to blame?

Govt
Oil companies
Oil distributors

Nigeria we hail.

Another legacy of OBJOKE

[I Love Nigeria]

200 Or More Persons Killed in Lagos Pipeline Explosions in Lagos!

December 26, 2006
Pipeline Explosion in Nigeria Kills More Than 200
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 7:57 a.m. ET

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- At least 200 people were killed Tuesday when a gasoline pipeline exploded in Nigeria's biggest city of Lagos, a Red Cross official said. The death toll was expected to rise.

Ige Oladimeji, a senior official for the Nigerian Red Cross, said his workers had documented ''over 200 and still counting.''

''We can only recognize them through the skulls, the bodies are scattered over the ground,'' he said. Workers ''can't get close enough because the fire is still burning.''

Witnesses said the pipeline ruptured shortly after midnight and that people had been collecting leaking fuel in plastic cans for hours before the explosion. It wasn't clear what caused the initial rupture in the pipeline or the later explosion.

Hundreds of bodies could be seen jumbled and fused together in the raging flames at the blast site. Intense heat kept rescue workers back as smoke billowed over the heavily populated Adule Egba neighborhood.

The blast shook the neighborhood after dawn, Nigerian Red Cross spokesman Umar Mairiga said. He said 16 bodies had been taken to the morgue, but raging fires were hindering further recovery. Many people had been injured, he said.

Nigerians often tap into pipelines carrying refined fuel, scooping up the raw product in buckets or plastic bags. Spilled fuel spreading in pools sometimes ignites, immolating people nearby.

In May, more than 150 people died in a similar explosion in Lagos.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, but corruption, poor management and limited refining capacity often leave the country short of fuel for vehicles and stoves.

Shortages in recent days have prompted hours-long lines at Lagos filling stations.

[denker]

. Petrol hits N250 per litre in Lagos .

[Auspicious]

...and when the western media comments on the state of our affairs, describing ever so accurately the "disgrace" of our cities and management of our affairs, some of us are quick to give vent to righteous (albeit, misplaced) anger: "How dare they stain us?"; "Who does Brian Ross (of ABC) think he is to call our Lagos a 'filthy, lawless disgrace of a city'?" "The western media is out to keep us down - they hate Nigeria".

The truth is that we are a disgrace as a nation-state. And that black oil is a deadly curse, rather than a blessing, on Nigeria...
Auspicious.

[docokwy]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

...and when the western media comments on the state of our affairs, describing ever so accurately the "disgrace" of our cities and management of our affairs, some of us are quick to give vent to righteous (albeit, misplaced) anger: "How dare they stain us?"; "Who does Brian Ross (of ABC) think he is to call our Lagos a 'filthy, lawless disgrace of a city'?" "The western media is out to keep us down - they hate Nigeria".

The truth is that we are a disgrace as a nation-state. And that black oil is a deadly curse, rather than a blessing, on Nigeria...
Auspicious.

A dirge for Obasanjo's upside-down Nigeria.

Citizens are once again killed by their thievery.
Scooping volatile hydrocarbon from punctured pipelines
Greed and poverty combined
Yet again despatch people to the great beyond
No pity for the thieving dead though.
But poverty caused by their (mis)rulers
Brought this calamity upon them
In same manner, I pray OBJ dies
And hot on his heels may Atiku follow
Then all the other thieving rulers in toe
North, East, West and South
For putting us through so much pain and agony
May they die unsung
Buried in unmarked graves
Like these charred remains of now faceless humans
That are never to be recognised
In all of this however
Nigeria will yet make or mar
But only time will tell.

[EezeeBee]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

...and when the western media comments on the state of our affairs, describing ever so accurately the "disgrace" of our cities and management of our affairs, some of us are quick to give vent to righteous (albeit, misplaced) anger: "How dare they stain us?"; "Who does Brian Ross (of ABC) think he is to call our Lagos a 'filthy, lawless disgrace of a city'?" "The western media is out to keep us down - they hate Nigeria".

The truth is that we are a disgrace as a nation-state. And that black oil is a deadly curse, rather than a blessing, on Nigeria...
Auspicious.

Auspicious, while I concede that the followership (including you and I) bear some responsibility for the state of affairs in Nigeria, surely you can see that the affairs of state are directed by a small cadre of 'leaders' (really rulers) who are the true disgrace. I still feel it is unfair for a Brian Ross of ABC to make comments tarring all people with the same brush for the activities of a few - a sentiment I think you have expressed on these boards severally in regards to people of certain ethnic nationality in Nigeria.

Undoubtedly, this is ANOTHER waste of humanity caused by LEADERSHIP in the petroleum distribution sector of Nigeria's economy. Who are the 'rulers' there? Those are the ones to blame. Everyone burned in this latest incident lost their lives because of that select group of rulers, NOT because of you and I.

However, as long as those rulers continue to exist, what am I going to do about it? Sit here and complain?

[Correct Bobo]

The Video! Sad

[blackscorpion]

This is very sad.Just two months ago the federal goverment gave Frank Nweke a blank cheque to junket around the world to convince the western media and the diaspora in general that Nigeria is not as bad as is being projected.

The last count petrolwas selling for 250 per litre in the black market which translates to 5000 naira for a 20 litre can.

If there is no market for this commodity no sane human being will go and sabotage the pipeline.A nation that pays mind boggling amounts to procure photographs for a private library for which 50billion naira(someone pls tell me i am wrong) Delegates were paid in cash at bogus conventions and our president and his deputy are trading scam allegations in naira as if it is in italian lira.

Someone once told me that sad instances are so frquent now that it is becoming a way of life.When was the last time hundreds perished in similar circumstances.

It is very sad,there is no program from the government about disaster management,we will never bget an accurate figure of how many lives were lost talkless of the identities.

God help us

[Rose]

The loss of human life and suffering is very sad. I'm so sorry to hear about this explosion.

[katampe]

(

"...the human misery of Lagos not only overwhelms one's senses and sympathy but also seems irreversible....The vision of twenty-three million people squeezed together and trying to survive, like creatures in a mad demographer's experiment gone badly wrong, fills Gbadebo-Smith with foreboding. "We have a massive growth in population with a stagnant or shrinking economy," he said. "Picture this city ten, twenty years from now. This is not the urban poor--this is the new urban destitute."" George Packer, 2006 )

The foreigners have been telling us what we have failed to see - I guess we are still in denial.We don't have to wait till twenty years - the sad times are already with us.We are witnessing body bags everywhere that we are becoming immune to deaths.Yesterday, it was deaths from plane crashes, today it is pipeline deaths , tomorrow it would be anything more lethal .What we haven't witnessed is yet is an health epidemic that wipes out millions.

There are disasters that are biggies that are still lurking for Nigerians.May God gives us the courage to tackle our problems very soon.

[Naija for life]

Eezeebee,

I believe that our rulers bear a share of the blame for our country's woes. But what about the citizens of the country who refuse to call them to account? Can a people be abused without their complicity? What about the responsibilty of Nigerians resident abroad? Could not much of the poverty and despair in our country be allayed by simply cooperating in completing constructive projects towards the welfare of the people?

Recently, I read an account on this website of women engaged in the back-breaking and physically gruelling work of crushing rocks manually. If I am not mistaken, one of the women profiled was in her sixties! Does the blame for this atrocity? (i.e. having a society where women in their advanced years have to perform such ardous tasks) rest exclusively with the rulers? Isn't the blame equally incident on the governed? Could many of our problems not be resolved by diasporans? Could we not cooperate in building hospitals, providing our policemen with better equipment as well as establishing trust funds to augment their criminally low salaries? Wouldn't our policemen adopt a more professional approach to their occupations and disavow their undesirable practices if they were compensated in consonance with the risks and sacrifice inherent in their professions? Or are we simply detered from according our compatriots relief because God forbid if the project does not benefit "my village"?

If we cannot cooperate to affect change nationally, how about concentrating on local initiatives. How many of us buy supplies for Schools in our villages or towns? Pens cost only about 10 cents at 99 cents only stores. Same goes for pencils. In fact, any school item can be had for a song at the 99 cents only stores. Do we avail ourselves of such conveniences? Couldn't we build small clinics and dispensaries and hire local health professionals to staff them? Does the pavement of small neighbourhood streets really entail that much complexity? Why can't we constitute a lobbying outfit to agitate for laws and treaties more conducive to the long term interests of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? How do we expect Nigerians who have no relatives in the Diaspora to alleviate their plight and to realize their full potentials? Can we really expect them to rebuff the opportunity to obtain (I can't bring myself to call it stealing) free petroleum?

I think we could solve our problems...if we weren't so selfish and apathetic.

[saemoenl]

It seems that we are heading for destruction, but God forbid the wicked ppl among us who tends to destroys the few image of the good Nigeria.
I cant personaly deny my heritage as a True Nigerian.
In fact, what this ppl(Leaders)are doing are making me to cry everyday I switch on my system to monitor the true development of things happening there but all to avail.
Nigeria

[oluye]

As usual, if a fly dies in Nigeria, it is the leaders fault!
While we waste energy trying to rubbish our leadership, we miss the opportunity of telling ourselves some hard truths.
Where do I begin?
Firstly, there are laid down laws in Nigeria that specifies distances in which no structure must exist to the left and right of high tension cables and petroleum pipelines. Many of the building around the pipeline that exploded are illegally located- not to mention the highly combustible saw mill. The local government that should ensure that the buildings are not built there collects dues from the sawmill. ( I know the saw mill very well, I have visited it many times, I know the buildings around it, even the multi storey shopping centre that was recently built along the expressway. But when someone like El Rufai tries to enforce zoning guideline, Nigerians turn him into an enemy.
In my thinking, when a disaster happens the first time and the second time etc. it is the duty of the legislature, those elected as the voice of the people, to investigate it, and make recommendations. What recommendations has the house of Rep in Lagos and in Nigeria made concerning pipeline fires? Abi is it Obasanjo and Atiku that will also do their work? But maybe we shouldn't blame them, they spend two years preparing for one election and two years afterwards recouping their investment- so there is no room to ponder on anything that does not ensure they stay in office.
In a responsible country the people will call for the heads of the town planning officer who approved those buildings and local government chairman who collects the dues before ever vetting their anger on the president.

Also, Nigeria has so many NGO"s. I wonder what they really do? This kind if accident has happened many times. Has there being any call that the government should do something about it? Has there been any effort at enlightening the masses? It is predictable that once there is fuel scarcity, (especially the artificial one created by hoarding around holiday periods) the tendency for vandalisation increases. Does NNPC increase awareness of the possible dangers around these periods?

Finally, somebody asked me this morning-"What sort of a mother allows his children to go and scoop gasoline with buckets?" While those involved would have included some innocent but gullible people, those involved are largely the type of people Nigeria doesn't need. Poverty is not an excuse. Majority of those involved re area boys who refuse to work. Thy go about seeking quick gain, reselling estate properties, extorting money and of course, hawking illegally siphoned fuel. The have been doing it at the site that exploded, it was just their payday.

Please find something more genuine to blame the presidency about! The endless personality bashings that characterise NVS makes it highly unpleasant for several people.

[blackscorpion]

Oluye,

I would have thought that the government was responsible for planning et all and if houses are built on pipelines they should act,once this responsibility is shirked any form of blame due to this neglect should be apportioned to the supervisory agency primarily and the government itself.

Maybe we should not blame them as you posit.Maybe we should blame the aliens from Mars that are responsible for selling Nigeria's crude to the export market and then appointing cronies to import them to the same local economy from which the crude originated.

Oluye,there is acute poverty in Nigeria,people are suffering all in the midst of plenty.There are endless queues for petrol again and the simple fact is that the comodity is worth a lot in the market and it is people like you and i that buy this black market fuel.Granted they are stupid for tinkering with the lines but can someone count how mant times we have had ugly events like these.

Oluye i want to assume you will raise objections to the government being blamed for 4 air crashes in an equal number of years?

I respect your right to air your views but a spade has no other name my brother.

May their souls rest in peace

[Olakunbi]

@ Auspicious:

There are 2 major differences between these guys who are breaking the pipes to steal oil and our leaders and foreign oil companies who steal the oil by barrels. These guys theiving oil in buckets are motivated by poverty and the later motivated by greed, and the former is stealing crumbs while the later is stealing billions. Also, don't you think DW Bushs' war in Iraq amounts to the same thing? So the Western media should remove the log in their own eyes first. I do pity those who died in this blast, if we had better leadership, people won't risk their lives so unneccesarily. The White men who are looting our oil in collusion with the Nigerian Govenment na thief. Everybodi na ole. I pity the poor man in Nigeria. Some who died we just innocent bystanders. May the souls all those who died both innocently and otherwise rest in Peace. Amen.

Originally Posted by Auspicious

...and when the western media comments on the state of our affairs, describing ever so accurately the "disgrace" of our cities and management of our affairs, some of us are quick to give vent to righteous (albeit, misplaced) anger: "How dare they stain us?"; "Who does Brian Ross (of ABC) think he is to call our Lagos a 'filthy, lawless disgrace of a city'?" "The western media is out to keep us down - they hate Nigeria".

The truth is that we are a disgrace as a nation-state. And that black oil is a deadly curse, rather than a blessing, on Nigeria...
Auspicious.

[Nonyellum]

Great response Oluye, I'm not absolving any leader, but great response nonetheless.

Any Lagosians here? Do we know who the LGA Chairman and Town Plnaning Officer (if there's one) of that Locale are? They're just as responsible as the victims.

Can we get Tinubu's reaction/response to this, as well as all those Gubernatorial Cendidates, what they plan to do to forsestall future events?

So much human resource and so much waste. France is paying it's women money to have more kids, as is Japan, and Nigeria is killing off its strength. What warped sense of priority.

May the souls of the departed rest in peace, Amen.

And may those in resposnsible positions who could have averted this tragedy know no peace.

[Auspicious]

AS OLUYE DEFENDS THE LEADERS:

As usual, if a fly dies in Nigeria, it is the leaders fault!

Of course! The buck ALWAYS stops...at the Leaders' desk! That is the price that comes with being in a position of leadership!

Firstly, there are laid down laws in Nigeria that specifies distances in which no structure must exist to the left and right of high tension cables and petroleum pipelines. Many of the building around the pipeline that exploded are illegally located- not to mention the highly combustible saw mill.

And? Whose business is it to enforce these "laid down laws"? Do we bring back OPC, MASSOB, Bakassi Boys, etc to enforce these laws OR we depend on the government who outlawed these aforementioned groups to enforce the laws that make the land safe for the citizens to live in?

The local government that should ensure that the buildings are not built there collects dues from the sawmill.

And the last time I checked, "leaders" were in charge at the local level of governance too. Unless Oluye is trying to tell us that di "mekunnus" (regular folks) are in charge, not "leaders"...?

But when someone like El Rufai tries to enforce zoning guideline, Nigerians turn him into an enemy.

Oluye opines like a government apologist; other than El-Rufai's attempt to make Abuja healthy, safe and organized only for the already-made (rich) and powers-that-be over there, where else have we seen any such attempts in Nigeria? And doesn't El-Rufai's example go futher to show that, unless government is ready to take the bull by the horns, lawlessness and its undesirable consequences will continue to be the same?

In my thinking, when a disaster happens the first time and the second time etc. it is the duty of the legislature, those elected as the voice of the people, to investigate it, and make recommendations. What recommendations has the house of Rep in Lagos and in Nigeria made concerning pipeline fires? Abi is it Obasanjo and Atiku that will also do their work?

Again, may I quickly point out that legislators are also "leaders" - the leaders whom you so aggressively defend while chastising the average hapless Nigerian for blaming the former for their woes.

May I repeat also that the buck STOPS at the desk of the leaders from the bottom up - from the local level to the federal level. Example, was it not YOUR Obasanjo/Atiku federal government that withheld Lagos State Government's share of federal revenue for almost 2 years, against all entrities - including a Supreme Court's order to release those funds?

By the way, is the legislature's also the body empowered to ensure constant supply of petroleum products to cities across Nigeria, so people will not have to resort to dangerously desperate measures for gasoline again? Duty of the legislature my foot! It is the duty of the government, plain and simple!

Also, Nigeria has so many NGO"s. I wonder what they really do? This kind if accident has happened many times. Has there being any call that the government should do something about it? Has there been any effort at enlightening the masses?

Why should Auspicious, a bonafide Nigerian citizen, depend on an NGO to provide for him, when he has representatives a.k.a. leaders, who have been constitutionally empowered to work for us and provide for us?!? NGO's? Does Oluye vote for NGO's at election time??? And what law makes it mandatory for an NGO to work for us? Suupose NGO failed in what Oluye expects of them, what then will he do? Will he sue the NGO's? Will he make them pay for the uselessness? What are you, Oluye? A government's spokesperson?

Finally, somebody asked me this morning-"What sort of a mother allows his children to go and scoop gasoline with buckets?" While those involved would have included some innocent but gullible people, those involved are largely the type of people Nigeria doesn't need. Poverty is not an excuse. Majority of those involved re area boys who refuse to work. Thy go about seeking quick gain, reselling estate properties, extorting money and of course, hawking illegally siphoned fuel. The have been doing it at the site that exploded, it was just their payday.

Like his counterparts elsewhere, the average Nigerian black man or woman fears risk/death more than the other races. That's why you won't find them bunge-jumping, skiiing, sky-diving and sh*t like that - besides the reality that, our lives are not as settled enough to think of such crazy adventures. Those Oyibo who engage in such have reached the peak of their success as a people - unlike the black man.

A desperate man is a desperate man. God forbid all plants and animals vanish from our world today, but man-eating will most-likely be an accepted norm - with categories of those who are to be eaten, seasons for your community to 'donate' etc. etc. A desperately poor people will do ANYTHING to survive.

It is heartless of Oluye to assert that only the lazies go scooping gasoline from those pipe-lines. Come on! Think of those men and women who live near-by; people who need money to survive because they can't find jobs...and those who have jobs they can barely subsist upon - people whose daily existance is as hellish as it is pathetic! No doubt many of such peoples were roasted to death in that inferno! Have a heart Oluye, will you.

The question is: What sort of leadership/government will allow this terrible accidents to continue to happen every so often? What sort of government wastes more money laundering image abroad instead of the obvious...what sort of government sits back and allow people to die in thousands from dropping planes, armed-robberies (150 policemen died in a month!), pipe-line explosions et al before it acts? Have they any foresight of anything at all?!?

Please find something more genuine to blame the presidency about! The endless personality bashings that characterise NVS makes it highly unpleasant for several people.

No! You quit being in denial and find something more genuine or worthwhile to defend..than a failed government/system! Even a 10 year old child knows he would be spanked for his sibblings' errors on his parents' return..because he knows, as the elder, he is expected to be in charge.

Your arguement here which seeks to absolve leadership of failure is as watery as they come. You might want to note that George Bush has been called every name in the book for the situation in Iraq, for the rising cost of gasoline..and for a plethora of other failures in the life of the average American.

Let those who can't bear reading/hearing the curses people everywhere throw at leaders whose failures make life hellish for their citizens go bury their heads in the sands. Obasanjo is a buffoon, Atiku is an id-iot..and their minnions who litter the country from North to South to the East and West share their buffonery and idiocy with them. Point made.

Auspicious.

[IgoTalk]

NIGERIA PIPELINE DISASTERS
May 2006: At least 150 killed in Lagos
Dec 2004: At least 20 killed in Lagos
Sept 2004: At least 60 killed in Lagos
June 2003: At least 105 killed in Abia State
Jul 2000: At least 300 killed in Warri
Mar 2000: At least 50 killed in Abia State
Oct 1998: At least 1,000 killed in Jesse

NOW - Dec 2006 : At least 700 killed in Lagos


Courtesy BBC - and believe me when I say they are just being conservative in their analysis of these figures

[ck1125]

It has become almost customary to receive sad news about our dear country. Firstly, I must commiserate with our dear country on the needless loss of yet more citizens in what is becoming a tale of unending catastrophic failures in leadership.

Some participants have rightly aired their views on this incidence but, to be honest, I side with the parties that aver the complicity of our leadership in these murders. The state as part of its primary functions is there to provide security to its citizens even from themselves. This pipeline disaster among others like the plane crashes will not be the first nor will it be the last until we start asking questions of the right people.

The pipelines are overseen by a parastatal and is liable in the deaths of our brothers and sisters and its management needs to answer some tough questions. Questions like how come when the pipelines were breached:
a) such a breach went unnoticed,
b) when noticed no effort was made to secure it and restrict public access to it
c) no repair efforts were made.
In civilized societies, and it is my view that Nigeria is one, procedures would have been put in place and certain health and safety assessments would have been made with the support of the relevant planning agencies.

Incidences like this fire draws attention to the blatant disdain with which our leaders present and past treat the lives of Nigerians. Like I have mentioned in a previous post, we need to wake up. I empathize with a previous poster that in diaspora Nigerians and NGOs may not be doing their fair share but the truth is Nigerians at home need to start seeing beyond their noses. Our constitution allows for senators, assembly-men and the rest to be recalled/replaced, we need to start looking closely at these options. Nigerians need to start taking more interest in what their real problems are.

Like I noted in a previous post, and this might not be the best forum to do so, but I will try again. The elections are round the corner. It is the readiness and willingness of aspirants with ideas and solutions to engage with and address issues surrounding our welfare and security that should be the real test of who is to lead us. Let us remember that supporters of all parties will have been affected by the pipeline disaster and other recent problems. All geo-political zones will also have been represented in the list of victims. It is also true that when hunger, power failure, air crashes and other tragedies strike they know not creed, status and political affiliation.

Lets end the celebration of mediocrity in Nigeria.


EE.