•Want Surveillance Contract Sustained
Against the continued spread of fallacies over the free operation of illegal oil bunkering and oil theft in the Niger Delta region, stakeholders from Trans Forcados, Escravus and OMS 40 have passed a vote of confidence in the Pipeline Infrastructure Limited (PINL) for its renewed commitment to ending the menace.
The stakeholders, at a press conference, yesterday, in Warri, called on the Federal Government to debunk all sorts of allegations leveled against the company targeted at government terminating PINL contract.
The leader of the OML 40, Canaan Ajagbawa, cautioned fake news peddlers to desist from spreading rumours about operations of oil bunkering and oil theft in the region. He disclosed that since the company took over the surveillance contract job in 2015, there has not been a report of oil bunkering in the last five months. He said: “We the Itsekiris don’t want anyone to be deceiving Nigerians. The company’s performance has further enhanced development in the area. The propaganda that the Pipeline Infrastructure is not doing its work is fake and misleading.”
He claimed that to safeguard the areas, the company has Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy, helping to secure the pipelines from being vandalised. In his remarks, Special Adviser to Delta State Governor on Niger Delta Affairs and BRACED Commission, GriftsonOmasuli, commended the company for helping the state government reduced incidents of criminal activities in the sector. He noted that the coming of the Pipeline Infrastructure has been beneficial to the yearning of the youths in the host communities.
“They have brought in realistic ideas that have been inclusive in terms of women participation. As a result of their intervention, there is guarantee security in the region. So, those speaking negative about the operation of the establishment are bent on truncating the MORE agenda of the state government and the renewed hope of the Federal Government,” he emphasised. Coordinator, Eweregbene community, Tiebebedigha, said that it was the Pipeline Infrastructure that helped members of his community who had been neglected for years to be working on the Trans Forcados pipeline.
Former Chief Consultant to Delta State Government on Ecology, Pollution and Control, Hosanna Williams, also corroborated that since 2015 that the Pipeline Infrastructure commenced operation, there hasn’t been any skirmishes, adding that the entire operation of attack hinges on envy and political grounds. He charged the authorities concerned not to accept what is in public domain, urging that there is need for those involved to inspect the areas whether there is any perforation.
