As search for protection strategies for oil pipelines continues in the face of fresh threats, Ijaw elders and leaders have held a forum in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, giving hints on what to do. Increased Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as the first and best option to win local support in fight to protect the assets.
The stakeholders however lauded the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for engaging communities and other relevant stakeholders toward effective and better security of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) which came under attack in recent times in the wake of the Rivers political crisis.
The stakeholders who spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the second day of the ‘PINL Stakeholders Engagement Meeting Series’ noted that the engagement of community people in securing the pipelines has given them a sense of belonging and participation.
In his contribution, Joshua Igbugburu, a monarch and Ebenanowei of Bomo kingdom, who applauded the company for engaging communities in his domain, called on all surveillance companies to emulate the methods adopted by PINL.
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The monarch said despite the situations in the region, he has ensured that his domain recorded zero infractions on the pipelines through interaction with the youths.
“Let me use this opportunity to commend the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, the operators in my domain. They are doing very well. They are taking care of the youths and chiefs and doing corporate social responsibilities. That’s what we want.
“But there are companies that are operating in my domain and they don’t care about us. They don’t know if traditional rulers existed or not, whether leaders were there or not but always use their guns to intimidate people, and I condemn that. I must say boldly that other surveillance companies should emulate PINL,” he said.
On his part, Nengi James, the Vice President 2 of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), rated PINL at about 85% in terms of performance but advised that they should do more in terms of CSR investments.
He stated that the company should be more transparent with their empowerment processes so as to be accountable to the people.
“We are very good people and the crowd here shows that the company is doing well. However, beneficiaries of the company’s empowerment benefits should be made public and the process of selection be made open to everybody.
“This company apart from your own jobs, look at the social corporate responsibility side so that you would be accountable to the people,” James added.
Also, Jonathan Lokpobiri, President of Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide (IYCW), lauded the company for not opting for military men to secure the pipelines, stressing that by engaging community people, they have given them a sense of participation in their own security.
“In terms of the role that Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited has played in the lives of the people, I personally on behalf of the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide, commend them. This is because they took the soft power approach. Many would have preferred to engage more of the military in terms of manning communities but they chose to engage more people and communities and thereby bringing about community participation,” Lokpobiri stated.
While advising Ijaw youths to adopt more of dialogue in their agitations, Lokpobiri also encouraged the company to do more to get those who may not have the capacity to burst the pipeline or cause chaos involved in their activities.
Addressing stakeholders at the meeting, Community Relations Consultant of PINL, Akpos Mezeh, pointed out that the essence of the engagement was to get feedback from the communities and seek ways of improving their operations for the overall benefit of the communities and the Federal Government.
He noted that since the company started operations in the communities, they have enjoyed cordial relationship with them, adding that the company believes the meeting would help them to serve the pipeline host communities better.
Mezeh further stated that the business of pipelines surveillance requires steady engagement with stakeholders and community people to get credible intelligence.
“In this meeting we expect feedbacks from our community leaders and stakeholders so that we can improve because as far as we are concerned, we have not got to where we ought to be so there is always room for improvement.
“Of course, the pivotal roles as regards pipeline surveillance are continuous engagement of the stakeholders because if you don’t engage with the stakeholders, it would be difficult for you to know the underlying problems.
“So, we’ve been able to reach out to all our stakeholders including our non-state actors, the kings, community leaders, and local government chairmen,” he stated.
The PINL Community Relations Consultant noted that the cordial relationship between the company has ensured zero infractions on the pipelines in the recent past. He called for more engagements to reduce environmental degradation and increase in the country’s revenue base.
“Because of the cordial relationship we have with the communities, we have been able to record zero infractions on the pipelines until the recent sabotage in Rivers State and we think that we are doing very well. We pray that the support would continue so that at the end of the day, we’ll be able to reduce environmental degradation in our communities and help to increase crude oil production and provide more revenue for the Federal Government,” Mezeh added.
He also used the forum to disclose to the communities that the company has engaged fully community persons in the pipelines surveillance to ensure that foreigners don’t benefit from it.
Mezeh also said the company has been doing so much in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR), settlement of disputes between communities, and in youth employment to ensure that the youths in the communities were engaged and dissuaded from going into pipeline vandalism.
