The Gbaramatu Traditional Council in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State has described the recent explosion of a Nigerian Gas Company pipeline as a ploy by enemies of the kingdom to disrupt the takeoff of the Maritime University situated in the area.
Secretary General of the traditional council, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, told our correspondent in an interview that it was unthinkable that the people of the kingdom would even contemplate an attack on Federal Government assets when the government had shown a lot of commitment to the development of the area.
Gbenekama said that those who had been fighting the Gbaramatu people over their quest for a Maritime University could have carried out the sabotage to paint the area in a bad light before the Federal Government.
He said, “We feel that our enemies are at it again to use this as a decoy to say we are back to the trenches just to destroy the Maritime University project for us. “We want to distance ourselves from wherever that has happened. If it is a third party interference, we are not part of it.
In fact, we would assist the Federal Government to ensure that such a thing doesn’t happen again and to ensure that if we get information about whoever has done, it we would pass such information to the Federal Government and security agencies.
“But let it be known that we are not part of whatever anybody could have done about the incident, but we are thinking this might be an equipment failure. But if it is not an equipment failure, we distance ourselves from it totally.
We can’t be part of it and we wouldn’t be part of it. If anybody has done it, they are enemies of Gbaramatu.”
The GTC secretary general added that though it had not been ascertained whether the explosion was due to a natural rupture resulting from equipment failure or a sabotage by a third party, the kingdom had nothing to do with the incident.
“At about 2-3pm yesterday (Saturday), there seemed to be a rupture of a gas pipeline some few m e t e r s from camp 5, where the Nigerian Army has a military base in Gbaramatu.
When indigenes heard the noise there was fear whether the military was testing its guns or whatever, due to the closeness of the noise to the military base.
“However, it was later discovered that it was a gas pipeline that ruptured. Whether it was breached or it was an equipment failure, we cannot determine for now, but we need to make this statement very clear,” he said.
We feel that our enemies are at it again
Gbenekama said that Gbaramatu Kingdom had no grouse against the Federal Government to the extent of rupturing or destroying any pipeline in the area or elsewhere, adding, “It is either it is an equipment failure or our enemies are at it again.
“Because of the current announcement by the Federal Government for the takeoff of the Maritime University, no right thinking human being in Gbaramatu would take up arms or go against the Federal Government to the point of rupturing or destroying pipelines.
“Therefore, the Gbaramatu Traditional Council is making it abundantly clear that the indigenes of Gbaramatu Kingdom are ready to work with the Federal Government to ensure that nobody, no individual from Gbaramatu touches any Federal Government installation.
“The present rupture is a surprise to us. We cannot at this time when the Federal Government is trying to open our Maritime University be talking about grievances with the Federal Government. “The NGC too, at this point, is trying to give life to some of our indigenes. So, Gbaramatu people do not have any reason to rupture any pipeline belonging to NGC or NNPC.”
