A security watch group, Warri Urban Security Network (WUSN), has applauded Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for living up to its billing on the pipeline surveillance contract with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), saying its performance has impacted positively on the security of pipelines in the areas of its coverage.
This is as the group berated sponsors of a fictitious report by the National Awareness Forum (NAF), aimed at denting the reputation of the surveillance firm, describing it as false, baseless and unfounded.
NAF, in its report, called for termination of PINL contract, claiming that the company had failed in its contractual obligations.
But reacting to the online media reports by NAF, WUSN urged the public to discountenance the report as there was no iota of truth in the claims made by the faceless group other than a mere attempt to tarnish the image built by the security firm over the years.
In the statement signed by Chief Frank Onoriode and Dafe Okpako, chairman and secretary respectively, WUSN expressed the need to set the records straight, in order to correct the falsehood being peddled by the sponsors of NAF publications to discredit the remarkable performance of PINL in securing the nation’s critical assets within its areas of responsibility across the country.
The security watch group noted that it decided to correct the false allegations made by those behind the NAF publication based on the determination not to compromise security of oil facilities within its coverage area for the selfish interest of few.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the above- named organisation has been drawn to a sponsored online publication by a fictitious group, calling for revocation of the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Pipeline Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL) and wish to categorically set the record straight, particularly in areas where we felt the publication presented false claim from an uninformed perspective.
“While we initially wanted to ignore the said publication because the issue raised were not only laughable but lacks credibility in all ramifications, we have, however, decided to correct certain wrong impressions made in order to disabuse the minds of the public by setting the record straight for a better understanding,” he said
“First, we wish to make it clear that contrary to claim of increasing rates of pipeline vandalism in parts of Rivers and Imo states where the surveillance contract to PINL covers, this is a false claim as we have it on good authority that the security outfit had kept activities within its areas of responsibility under check and the records are there for verification.
“On the claim that the Trans-forcados pipeline in Deltas State had witnessed series of attacks in recent time, we also object to this, as it had become evident that some criminal elements had been sponsored by some individuals equally handling pipeline surveillance in the region in order to create the wrong impression that PINL cannot measure up.
“Contrary to the report, the TFP remained the most reliable pipeline within the western corridor with minimal downtime recovery factor of over 98 percent. It is also important to note that the availability of pipeline is attributed to PINL robust deployment and technical prowess.
As a security watch group that had operated within Warri area in the last one decade, we can attest to the fact that PINL had done creditably well, particularly with its intervention in curbing pipeline vandalism and oil theft has changed the narrative hitherto to the wanton theft of the past.”
WUSN argued that PINL intervention in protecting and maintaining the Trans Niger Pipeline, (TNP) in the Eastern corridor has yielded appreciable results thereby contributing to the gross domestic earning and rise in oil production.
and then