…Stakeholders Urge IOCs to emulate PINL in CSR
Stakeholders from pipeline and crude oil host communities in the Niger Delta States have stressed the need for their youths to play more roles in the oil and gas industry, rather than being sidelined and their communities starved of infrastructure.
The stakeholders spoke at a meeting organised by Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL, the surveillance contractor in charge of the Trans Niger Pipeline TNP, which criss-crosses the four states of the Niger Delta, namely Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia States.
They called for more opportunities for their youths in the oil and gas industry, and urged the Federal Government to expand the security contract of PINL based on the contributions in safeguarding oil pipelines and other oil installations.
President-General, Orashi People’s Congress, Emeni Ibe expressed happiness with PINL. “Our people, which includes Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and West, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have asked me to convey their gratitude for regularly holding this stakeholders meeting”, he stated.
He added, “Our area is criss-crossed with several oil pipelines and in the campaign against vandalism, we have agreed to partner with the PINL. We are calling on the Federal Government to provide more funds to the company.
“We are pleased with their training and their scholarship for our youths. This is what we are expecting, and if these things are done, pipeline vandalism will be a thing of the past. PINL is changing the narratives in our area, so I join others to pass a vote of confidence on PINL.”
Also speaking, Ajenkebiokpomaa Orlu, from the Soku community, said his people want the federal government to include the community in the scope of jobs covered by PINL.
“We have been hearing about PINL in Rivers State and other neighbouring communities, but it’s a surprise to us because Soku, as a major player in the oil and gas sector, we are not part of their operations. We are supposed to be part of it as a major oil-bearing community with the largest gas plant in West Africa and other oil facilities.
“I’m here to tell the Federal Government, NNPCL and PINL to include the Soku community in their scope of job and mostly for the Federal Government to expand PINL’s scope of work in the area to include the Soku oilfield.
In his submission, Engr. Orr Sunday Orr, who spoke on behalf of the Ogoni Oil and Gas Host Communities Youths Forum, said that collaboration with stakeholders has led to a decrease in pipeline vandalism in the area.
He acknowledged that PINL’s operations have led to a drastic reduction in cases of pipeline vandalism, oil theft, illegal bunkering, and environmental pollution, amongst others.
He said: “With the efforts and commitment of PINL, vandalism, oil theft, and illegal bunkering have drastically reduced in the Niger Delta region and Ogoni in particular.
“Ogoni Oil and Gas Host Communities Youths Forum is aware of the Federal Government numerous policies and strategies aimed at safeguarding the pipelines, improving the standards of host communities and increasing oil production and as such, we hereby pass a vote of confidence on PINL as the company with the right strategy in securing the TNP in Niger Delta region and Ogoni in particular,” Orr said.
He called on all host communities to embrace and sustain the relationship with the company, assuring that, ” Ogoni youths would continue to provide the necessary support and enabling environment to the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, and PINL in our domain”.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the engagement, Dr Akpos Mezeh, General Manager Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement, explained that Soku Tombia, Rumuji, Ogba, Abha, and Gbarain all host gas lines, “and we have engaged workers from those communities to help secure the lines”.
He expressed hope that the Federal Government would expedite action in expanding PINL’s contract to cover those areas, noting that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulation Commission NUPRC in a recent statement has witnessed sustained steady growth over the past three years, with daily average production hitting 7.59 bscf with simultaneous decline in flaring adding that the feat underscored the commission’s drive to boost production while advancing its 2030 zero-flare commitment”.
Mezeh stated; “Soku is a major oil and gas host community and by virtue of the fact that our current contract on TNP does not cover Soku, we’ve been able to cover them based on the limited resources we have and so far we’ve been doing wonderfully well there courtesy of the support we get from the community and there has been no incident of vandalism in Soku.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to expedite action on formalising the expansion that we are already doing to cover the areas outside our primary mandate.
“We have Soku, Tombia, Rumuji, Ogba, Abha, and Gbarain, which host gas lines and we have engaged workers from those communities to help secure the lines and so we hope that the Federal Government would expedite action in expanding our contract to cover those areas.
“We have expanded our operations into gas, and we are in the sixth month, and the results are clear. And from the report of NUPRC, gas production has increased.
“We’ve done a lot to ensure that gas facilities are given adequate protection. We have engaged more workers from the communities where gas lines are criss-crossing, and although that’s not our primary area of responsibility, we are doing that as a duty call to ensure that we support the Federal Government, and that’s why we are calling on the Federal Government to formalise the work that we are already doing.”
