Foremost national asset protection company, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has condemned attempt by some agents through their proxies to undermine its effort in its areas of operations.
This is coming just as the people of IIelema community in Asari Toru local government area of Rivers State hailed the company for showing exceptional capability it executing the pipeline surveillance job so far.
Addressing journalists on Thursday at Angiama community in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State, a Community Guard with Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Prince Layefa Toikumoh a.k.a Three Lions of Niger Delta, explained that the media engagement was organised to set the records straight and correct the attendant mischief by detractors to sabotage its work.
While noting that in partnership with the security agencies, PINL has identified flashpoints of illegal bunkering and has closed most of such sites in Odua, Oworovor, Okoma, Karama, Kalakolu, Oruma, Otuega, Agbura, Agonbri, Ikiamagbene, Ikiayagbri, Obololo, Kpologbene, Egbema and other communities in Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo and Abia States.
Prince Toikumoh averred: “A core strategy of our modus operandi is to meaningfully and constructively engage and work with critical stakeholders in communities in our areas of responsibility (AOR) to put an end to the grand theft of crude oil and other related products and as well curtail if not wipe out completely its attendant damage to our environment and ecology.”
Some indigenes of Angiama community, Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State during the solidarity protest on Thursday, stated: “It is a well-known fact that reactionary forces will always pull up strategies to fight back, akin to corruption fighting back. We call on these persons to stop forthwith or be prepared to face the full weight of the law as enabled in our terms of engagements.
“We are also calling on all critical stakeholders in our areas of operations, to partner with us to restore normalcy in this critical sector of our nation’s economy. The nation and especially the Niger Delta cannot afford a continuation of criminality under any guise to continue, as our people are in the frontline of the negative consequences of their nefarious activities.
“We are aware that there is a thriving eco-system that gives lives to the activities of these oil thieves, we are by this press conference sending out a final message for them to retrace their steps and seek sustainable livelihood or else as mandated by Mr. President, the law will have no mercy on them.”
They also carried placards with inscriptions such as: “We support and endorse the work of pipeline infrastructure Nigeria Limited”, “Pipeline Infrastructure has done well to curtal oil theft and illegal bunkering in our area/communities” as well as “We support pipeline infrastructure in curbing illegal bunkering and protecting our environment and ecology.”
In the same vein, the chairman of Ilelema Council of Chiefs in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Alabo Kingsley S. Igbanibo, who spoke through Mr. Philip Okere, on Friday, during a press briefing, commended the Federal Government, through NNPCL, for awarding the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) to PINL, so as to end the menace of illegal bunkering, which had placed the communities in great danger.
He also gave plaudits to the management of PINL “for their robust community relations and engagement with respect to maintenance and security of Trans Niger Pipeline,” adding: “Over the years, we have worked with other organizations, but PINL has shown an exceptional capability in the management of the above-mentioned pipeline segment, that traverses our communities”
Igbanibo added: “With support of the communities, PINL has made history with steady progress being made in the process of recovering and stabilizing the hitherto abandoned Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in-spite of the daunting security challenges and agitations in our communities in Niger Delta in general.”
