Most of the 215 pipeline host communities of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) have assured their cooperation with stakeholders on the security of the pipelines.
This follows the massive food palliatives to the host communities in the four Niger Delta states of Abia, Bayelsa, Imo and Rivers by the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the surveillance contractor of the TNP.
Speaking on behalf of some of the communities which include Obio/Akpor, Etche, Ikwerre and Emohua local government areas at the Emohua Local Government Area secretariat at the weekend, the paramount ruler of Omuobizu and chairman, Ibaa Council of Chiefs, Chief Adolphus Nyegbeke Umesi, expressed appreciation to PINL for the gesture, describing it as the first of its kind to the communities.
He said: “We celebrate PINL, for the palliatives, we have not seen this before, but this one has motivated us to be here. That is why we are patient, we are salivating, we are hoping and we are celebrating.
“My feeling is that these people will not be like other multinationals in our communities because what they have done now is a conviction that good things will come. And we also have assured them that vandalism has to stop. We have to make sure of that by working day and night.
So, we just urge them to keep up the good work.”
Speaking on behalf of benefiting communities of Andoni, Bonny, Eleme Gokana and Tai local government areas, which received their palliatives on Monday, Emere T.E. Akobe, appreciated PINL for the gesture, urging the organisation to continue to put them in their plans so as to maintain the cordial relationship between the parties.
While pointing out that they have never had it so good since the coming of the pipelines in their communities, he emphasised the need for the company to maintain a cordial relationship with the communities in a manner that there would be mutual understanding and benefits.
Different communities in some local government areas in Bayelsa and Imo states also received the palliatives and flood relief materials in the exercise that lasted for six days at six different distribution points.
Each of the communities received several bags of 50kg rice, beans and garri, in addition to the mattresses and blankets for those communities who were affected by recent flooding incident in some of the states.
Earlier in a press conference to mark the beginning of the exercise, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited, Miss Deborah Okunbo, said the palliatives distribution was part of a bouquet of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) packages planned by the company to cushion the effects of the harsh economic situation in the country and to empower the people, give them a sense of ownership of the crude oil assets in their communities and totally eliminate vandalism and oil theft.
She explained that it was to display that PINL is a company that cares about the well-being and welfare of communities where they operate, saying the exercise stemmed from agreement entered with the community representatives during visits to the communities to hear from them the various areas they wanted the company to intervene.
She explained that the CRS programmes were agreed with the different communities after due consultation and needs assessments, adding that the company was commissioned by PINL two years ago for that purpose.
Miss Okunbo encouraged youths to stop pipeline vandalism, saying, “If they are able to contain that, then we are able to increase production, and the economy will get better.”
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