The Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, have assured Nigerians that the 2.5-million daily crude oil production target of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is achievable with the collaboration of relevant stakeholders.
The NSA and PINL gave the assurance during a stakeholders engagement with pipeline host communities in Bayelsa State
Director of Energy Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree while speaking at the engagement meeting, noted that the office of the NSA has the mandate to ensure the President’s target was achieved, but called for collaboration from all stakeholders to make the target realistic.
Represented by Mr Young-Harry Amakiri, Flag-Amachree charged the communities and stakeholders to report vandals and those involved in crude oil theft within their communities to the relevant security agencies for prompt arrest and prosecution.
He commended PINL for working to ensure near zero infractions on the Trans Niger Pipeline, TNP rating them 80% because according to him there was always need for improvement.
“I want to thank PINL for all you are doing and everybody here has confirmed it.
The President is serious about the 2.5-million b/pd production and we are also serious about doing the needful to get to that point and I believe with the help of all of us, we can get to that point,” Flag-Amachree stated.
He also disclosed that so far over 100 suspected vandals and illegal bunkerers have been prosecuted by the NSA.
“I want to give you this full assurance that there is a committee constituted by the NSA comprising of prosecuting and investigating teams and they have been working consistently. As we talk to you, we have prosecuted more than 100 persons. As at yesterday, 15 suspects were prosecuted and taken to Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. So don’t have any fears,” he added.
Corroborating the position of the NSA, the Community Relations Consultant to PINL, the company responsible for TNP surveillance, Dr Akpos Mezeh stressed that with the assurance by the NSA to intervene in the area of prosecution of suspects, the targeted 2.5m b/pd production is achievable.
“The determination of the NSA to intervene in the area of prosecution of suspects, gives us more guarantee on the mandate of the President to increase oil production to 2.5m b/pd. With that commitment from NSA, I can say that 2.5m barrel of oil production per day is achievable,” he stated.
Earlier, Dr Mezeh explained that the essence of the engagement was to get feedbacks from their host communities on the company’s operations in their communities, address their challenges and seek ways up of improvement.
Dr Mezeh noted that constant engagement with stakeholders and host communities has aided the fight against oil theft on the Trans Niger Pipeline.
“The Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited’s mandate to protect the Trans Niger Pipeline, TNP, has been achieved through strategic engagement with the host communities .
“This collaborative approach has not only led to stronger relations between PINL and the communities but also forged a united front in the fight against crude oil theft,” he said.
The Community Relations Consultant added that beyond securing pipelines, the company has the mandate of engaging both non state actors, local government chairmen, traditional ruler and government security agents for effective collaborations.
Reeling out their achievements, Dr. Mezeh said the company has been been able to provide social investments based on community needs assessment, thus mitigating the socio-economics drivers of crude oil theft while promoting sustainable economic empowerment of our communities.
He added: “We have also tried our best to ensure restoration of the environment which have been destroyed by incessant crude oil theft with the associated hazards.
“We have also achieved near zero infractions on the Trans Niger Pipeline, thus leading to increased crude oil production inline with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu. These successes have significantly boosted investors confidence in our dear country and have also brought about Increased revenue”.
Dr Mezeh further disclosed that the company has been involved in settlement of disputes between communities, adhering to local content in surveillance contracts, supported critical stakeholders and carried out other corporate social responsibility programmes for the communities.
To achieve the feat, Dr Mezeh said the company have prioritised prompt payment of surveillance guards, health and safety of workers and community people amongst others.
He also identified the challenges faced by the company go include community leadership disputes, community and stakeholders connivance with vandals amongst others.
Speaking briefly at the event, the Managing Director of PINL, Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinriade (Rtd) appreciated the Bayelsa communities for supporting the activities of the company since they started operations in the communities.
In his remarks, Special Assistant to Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri on Oil and Gas, Franklin Oteli also thanked the company for giving room for appraisal of its activities in the communities.
He however, called for inclusion of more communities in the activities of the company.
“We have some problems of non inclusion. We have some communities that were not picked to benefit from this pipelines activities, I want to appeal that that should be looked into.
“If you go to Epie Kingdom virtually all the communities pipelines traverses them but only a few are picked and other communities are left, so I want to appeal that the office of the NSA should look into that,” Oteli appealed.
On his part, President of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Professor Benjamin Okaba stated that the company has done well by engaging with the communities to get feedbacks on their activities.
Okaba urged Bayelsa communities to own the company as their own and support their activities.
“This is our project, so let us own it because our own is involved and because if we don’t support them who else will,” he admonished.
Adding his voice, a former president of the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, Elder Timi Ogoriba urged the company not to rest on its oars as the communities would react if they no longer do well.
“If you do not have a feedback system you would not know what the people are feeling about what you are doing because there is always room for improvement and it’s from what the communities say that will help you to get that improvement.
“However, because we are giving you accolades does not mean that you should rest on your oars because if you do, we will come for you,” he said.
A traditional ruler, King Joshua Igbugburu, the Ebenanowei of Bomo Kingdom, encouraged the company to continue to carry the communities and stakeholders along in the scheme of things.
He assured that as monarch, he will continue to maintain peace, law and order and create the enabling environment for the company’s hitch-free operations in the area.
The monarch used the medium to call on the Ministers of Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri to hold similar regular meetings with the stakeholders and pipeline surveillance companies to stop further escalation of pipeline vandalization, saying that will increase oil production and further enhance the economy of the nation.
Lastly, King Igbugburu who had earlier lamented that out of the three surveillance companies operating in his domain, only PINL has identified with him, called on the companies to show up and do the needful so that they can work together for peaceful operation and to flush out criminals and vandals in the area.
Our correspondent also reports that Three Pipeline Surveillance Contractors where also honored at the Bayelsa State stakeholders engagement for their outstanding performance in pipeline security