Pipeline stakeholders in the communities where the operations of the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) transverses in Delta State have appealed to the Federal Government to allow the security outfit to continue with its good work.
The appeal was made at a gathering convened by the stakeholders on Friday in Warri.
Mr Griftson Omatsuli, Special Adviser to the Delta State Government on Niger Delta Affairs, while addressing journalists at the gathering, said that PINL had done remarkably well and appealed that the private security outfit should be allowed to continue.
He described those clamouring for the cancellation of the pipeline surveillance services as “enemies of the country”.
PINL, a former OMS 40, renders various services across the Niger Delta region to operators and key players in the oil and gas sector of the economy.
The indigenous company has been operating since 2017 providing security services in the Trans-Forcados, Escravos-Warri and OMS 40 (Trans Benin River-Otumara) crude oil pipelines in Delta.
Omatsuli, a former Commissioner, representing the Itsekiri ethnic nationality at the Delta Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), noted that withdrawal of the surveillance services would amount to encouraging criminality in the Niger Delta.
“Withdrawing the services of the surveillance companies will worsen the pipeline vandalism and by implication reduce the revenue accruing to the government.
“Those encouraging the federal government to shelve pipeline security services are enemies of Nigeria and of course enemies of the Niger Delta region.
“The pipelines transverse the Niger Delta to other parts of the country and outside Nigeria. So, the security of the pipelines belongs to the people of the Niger Delta and they are bound to secure them.
“In the past, the people thought that the pipelines belonged to the federal government. Then, they did not know what is government, it was based on that they kept vandalising the pipelines.
“So, by creating ample opportunities for the Niger Delta people to see the pipelines as their properties and need to protect them has certainly increased production output and the nation’s revenue.
“Stopping pipeline surveillance will certainly encourage criminalities in the Niger Delta. So, I want to appeal to the federal government to allow the PINL to continue with the good work,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Canaan Ajagbawa, an opinion leader in Olero Community in Warri North, said that oil bunkering activities had reduced drastically in the community following the operations of the PINL.
“We are aware that the federal government wants to make some changes, the contract is up for review.
“Since PINL came on board in 2017, oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism has reduced greatly in OMS 40, 42 and 30 and crude oil production level increases correspondingly.
“So, we are appealing on behalf of the Olero, Egbokodo, Batan and other over 20, communities the PINL transverses.
“That federal government should allow the company to remain and continue with the good job,” he said.
Mr Ibuje Joseph, leader from OMS 30 upland, off Escravos, on his part, said that peace and crude oil production had increased tremendously in the area since the security outfit came on board.
“You do not change a winning team, since PINL came on board in 2017, peace has improved and crude oil production has risen from 50,000 bpd to about 85,000 bpd in OMS 30 area.
“So federal government should allow the company to continue with the good work,” he said.
Similarly, Dr Jeffery Wilkie, Secretary and opinion leader in Olero Community, said that the best way to secure pipelines was to involve the communities in the protections.
“The PINL came with a formula to engage the communities in the job. Most of the workers were community-based.
“The private security outfit adopted a robust community relations. Those indulged in illegal bunkering activities have renounced and now involved in the intelligence gathering of the pipelines,” he said
Wilkie called on the federal government to retain the security company as well as increase the funding noting that pipelines were the life blood of the nation’s economy.
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