Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
In a bid to ensuring adequate security of oil installations in the Niger Delta region, especially in Rivers State, the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, the firm responsible for securing the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) said it would be meeting with critical stakeholders from all communities on the TNP corridor.
The stakeholders’ meeting which coming two weeks after an explosion on the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana local government area, part of the reasons for declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, is a follow up to similar engagements and sensitizations Pinl’s 215 pipeline host communities conducted by the company to create a sense of ownership in the communities and stakeholders of the critical national asset.
Community Relations Consultant of PINL, Dr Akpos Meze who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Friday said, the meeting is scheduled to hold on Monday, 31st March and Tuesday, 1st April, 2025 in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa respectively.
Dr. Meze told newsmen that traditional rulers, Community Development Committees (CDCs), youth and women leaders from the communities on the Trans-Niger Pipeline corridor covering Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia states are expected to be part of the meeting.
He also noted that top political actors from the four states especially Rivers State where the political crisis rocking the state has been blamed to be fueling the cases of pipeline vandalism are expected to be in attendance.
He emphasized that PINL was not partisan in the matter, insisting that the essence of the forthcoming meeting with the various interest groups was aimed at driving a peace process and ultimately secure the pipeline to ensure greater output to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, would help end further infractions on the TNP.
According to him; “There is that impression that the recent blast on the Trans Niger Pipeline under our management could have been avoided, so what we intend doing in this stakeholders meeting of all the community leaders, government representatives and all actors is to take steps to forestall further infractions.
“The meeting is to ensure that everybody is on the same page and carry same vision for more oil output and increase the Gross Domestic Product of the country”.
He used the opportunity to clear the air on the recent blast on the TNP pipeline in Bodo, Gokana LGA of Rivers State, describing it as a clear case of sabotage.
He explained that for a long time before the recent incident, the company has maintained zero infractions on the pipeline and want to immediately return to the status.
He however, confirmed that the pipeline has since returned to full operation, saying; “The Trans Niger Pipeline has been fixed and it’s currently working at 100% output.
The PINL consultant used the occasion to reveal that the company had since inception been involved in Corporate Social Responsibility in the host communities including providing relief materials for flood victims in Bayelsa State after the 2022 floods, distribution of palliatives last year December to all host communities in amongst others.
