News
Rivers Legislators Seek Extension Of Pipeline Surveillance Contract
Some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have called on the Federal Government to extend the surveillance contract of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd (PINL) beyond the current three months.
The lawmakers include Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol; Hon. John Dominic Iderema; and Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari; representing Gokana, Abua/Odual and Ahoada West constituencies, respectively,
This is as the lawmakers have rated the company high on its performance on the pipeline surveillance contract across affected Niger Delta states.
PINL is one of the contractors engaged by the Federal Government to implement its security surveillance policy of oil industry assets, especially pipelines, in the Niger Delta.
The contract, which has just lasted nearly a year, has PINL covering hundreds of communities in four states of Abia, Bayelsa, Imo and Rivers, hosting pipelines and other crude oil assets.
But following the ravaging effects of oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining, the Federal Government resorted to the policy of pipeline surveillance with PINL being one of the contractors.
Records show that gross terminal recovery factors have moved from 3% in 2022 to over 97% as at May 30, 2023, attributable to PINL strategic deployment and operations in the Eastern corridor.
Recently, the contract was renewed by the Federal Government by another three months with expiration date set for sometime in October, 2023.
Speaking to journalists on the performance of the contractors, the three lawmakers, whose constituencies are oil facility hosts, expressed joy with PINL for its high quality performance, stating that the company has reduced oil theft through pipeline vandalism and illegal refining of petroleum products by over 90 percent in its short period of engagement.
They attributed the success of the company to its far-reaching community engagement strategy through which they touched base with all host community stakeholders of pipeline and other facilities, saying it gave everyone a sense of belonging and made them active participants in the fight against the menace of illegal oil bunkering.
The lawmakers, therefore, urged the Federal Government to extend the surveillance contract, saying that the three months extension recently granted the company was not long enough.
They warned that if the contract was not further renewed, the oil thieves might return at the end of the extended three months.
In his statement, the lawmaker representing Gokana State Constituency and Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, acknowledged that the presence of PINL in his area has saved the people from the multi-dimensional challenges of oil thieves and illegal bunkering.
Maol, who represents a part of Ogoniland with several kilometers of pipeline, said; “I hear that they were told to be on site for another three months, meaning that in days to come, their contract will elapse.
“Question is, if you don’t ask them to continue, what will happen to the place? It will be vulnerable for these crude oil thieves to come back and do what they used to do before, and we don’t intend to go back to the dark days.
“I believe that asking them to come back will mean that they need to double their efforts and bring new innovations that will make them improve and do better than what they are doing now.
“Before now, it had been an eye sore. In my community, B-Dere, it used to be horrible, when you see individuals just wake up one morning and go to destroy pipelines all in the guise of getting crude oil for illegal refining.
“So, I urge the Federal Government to quickly do the needful by extending the contract in a sustainable term, not three months, not one month but a long term award that will make them relax and think of what to do to sustain what they are already doing”, the lawmaker added.
Also speaking, Hon. Iderema said, “If tremendous progress has not been made, I don’t think Mr President would have extended it by three months. For him to have extended the contract by three months, it means he’s satisfied with PINL activities in the Niger Delta.
“Now, for me, the three months period is too short because once they know that PINL is leaving in three months’ time, they too will be prepared. That very day that the company pulls out, they will move in and start their illegal activities again.
“I’m proposing for the Federal Government to give them, at least, one year period of probation again. Whoever the Federal Government wants to monitor PINL, they should bring the person to monitor them for a period of one year, at least. Three months is too short.
“For me, going by what we had before they came in, I don’t think anybody would want to change a football team that’s winning, they would want to sustain such football team. So, I believe that the Federal Government will want to strengthen this PINL so they can achieve greater heights”, Iderema stated.
“Before 2022, pipeline vandalism was a real menace to the two local government areas” of Abua/Odual and Ahoada East.
“It was terrible, it was a big problem for the state and the society. People died, it was becoming unbearable. The soot alone, you can’t fetch water and leave it open for 5 minutes. You know, in these localities, we have open bathroom.
“So, by the time you fetch water from the tap or from the mono pump, by the time you finish bathing, you will notice oil with particles, which we learnt contains benzine and it can cause cancer.
“You can’t have natural air to breathe, you can’t open your windows because by the time you open your windows and touch your plates or cutlery, you see black soot. Then, it became a permanent stain on the soles of our feet. That was hazardous, it was a big problem, but with the contract in place, things have changed for the better”, Iderema noted.
On his part, Hon. Sokari said; “Honestly speaking, vandalism or oil bunkering has affected us so much as a people. The activities of these illegal bunkerers and refiners have affected our land. It has disrupted the ecosystem and negatively impacted on agriculture which is the main occupation of my people.
“Before now, we don’t know if there was any arrangement between the government and the private sector on how to safeguard these facilities, but lately, we have seen some changes; and that move has drastically reduced illegal refining activities that we see around our area”.
Sokari said; “Initially, when they came, we felt it was going to be a kind of recurring decimal. We didn’t know that it will work. PINL moved straight to wherever they were and life became unbearable for them and they had to leave.
“If I’m to score them between 1 and 100, I will give them 90 percent and above. For PINL to have made the youths of these communities engaged, they are happy. They are gainfully employed; they get salary every month. So, that also is a plus for PINL”.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has described the late Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall as a distinguished statesman whose contributions to national development brought honour and distinction to the Kalabari Kingdom and Rivers State.
Fubara said Horsfall’s life of service, patriotism, integrity and commitment to humanity had left an enduring legacy that would continue to inspire generations.
The governor spoke through the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, at the funeral service of the late elder statesman last Saturday in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the State.
He described Horsfall as a patriotic Nigerian whose leadership and dedication to the country’s development earned him a place in the nation’s history.
“Chief Horsfall was a distinguished statesman whose life was defined by service, patriotism, integrity and commitment to humanity.
“His contributions to our nation, particularly through his service as Director-General of the State Security Service, pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency and Chairman of OMPADEC, remain significant milestones in our national history,” Fubara said.
The governor noted that the late Horsfall’s contributions to national security, intelligence administration and the development of the Niger Delta would remain part of his enduring legacy.
“His legacy of leadership, national service and dedication to development will remain an enduring source of inspiration to generations yet unborn,” he added.
Fubara urged the bereaved family, the Kalabari people and other Nigerians to uphold the values of peace, unity and selfless service exemplified by the late elder statesman.
The funeral service attracted several dignitaries, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a representative of the Bayelsa State Governor, the Managing Director of NDDC, Chairman of PENDEF and the Regent of the Kalabari Kingdom.
Also in attendance were the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, the Commissioner for Special Projects and other government officials, traditional rulers and stakeholders.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partner with local government councils that prioritize the welfare and development of people at the grassroots.
Fubara stated this last Thursday in Nkoro Town during the commissioning of the newly built Sir Siminalayi Fubara Corps Members’ Lodge, executed by Hon. James A. James, the Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Sunny Ewule, the governor said the project goes beyond a building to represent hope, hospitality and responsible leadership.
According to him, providing decent and safe accommodation for Nationl Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who leave their comfort zones to serve in communities is the least government can do.
“Today we are not just commissioning a building, we are commissioning hope, hospitality and responsible leadership. The Chairman of Opobo/ Nkoro LGA, Hon. James A. James has understood a very simple truth that those who come to serve us must serve with dignity,.
“Our young graduates who serves under the NYSC scheme leave the comfort of their homes and travel far to contribute to our communities, they teach our children, they work in our health centres, and they become parts of our families.
“The least we can do is give them a decent, safe and befitting place to lay their heads. What Hon. James A. James has done today is in total alignment with the vision of this administration, an administration that believes in people, that prioritises welfare and that believes development must be felt in every local government and not just in Port Harcourt” he said.
Fubara further urged the beneficiaries of the corpers lodge to make good use of the facilities of the newly built edifice and be good ambassadors of Nigeria, respect the culture and traditions of the host community while continue to serve with dedication and patriotism.
“This Corpers lodge will enhance the security and welfare of serving corps members, boost their morale and make Opobo/Nkoro and even more attractive place for posting, it is a strategic investment in human capital and in peace building,” he said.
He commended the Opobo/Nkoro Council Chairman for aligning with his administration’s vision of ensuring development is felt in all 23 local government areas of the State, and not just in Port Harcourt, adding that the lodge is a strategic investment in human capital, security and peace building.
In his goodwill message, the Rivers State NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Moses Oleghe, said the accommodation was 85 percent of Corps members’ challenges.
Oleghe thanked Governor Fubara for the recent increase in the State allowances for Corps members to N35,000 for those in 21 rural areas and N20,000 for those in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City LGAs, describing the gesture as a moral booster for the corps members.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has secured an offer of specialised training for up to 5,000 Nigerian police personnel under a proposed security cooperation involving Nigeria, the United States and Italy.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, at the weekend.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to tackle insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other emerging security threats across the country.
According to the statement, the proposed training programme will focus on counter-insurgency operations, intelligence-led patrols and tactical operations, particularly in difficult rural and forested environments.
Other areas of training include critical infrastructure protection, digital and scientific forensics, cybercrime investigations, explosives detection, financial investigations, asset tracing and anti-extortion operations.
The programme is expected to extend beyond the Police Mobile Force to other specialised units, including explosive ordnance disposal and forensic teams.
As part of the engagement, Disu met with the Commander-General of the Italian Carabinieri, Lieutenant-General Salvatore Luongo, to explore areas of technical assistance, professional training and institutional cooperation.
The police chief and his delegation also visited the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units in Vicenza, Italy, where they assessed training facilities and explored opportunities to adapt specialised policing programmes to Nigeria’s security needs.
Proposals discussed during the visit included command courses for 40 senior police officers, leadership training for 100 junior commanders and the deployment of a mobile assistance team to support Police Mobile Force training schools in Gwoza, Borno State, and Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
The discussions also covered the development of a national stability policing doctrine and standard operating procedures to improve professionalism, operational coordination and civilian protection, particularly in communities recovering from conflict.
Other areas of proposed cooperation include canine operations, forensic science and mounted policing, including horse breeding and local capacity development for effective public order management.
To formalise the proposed partnership, the IGP has initiated moves towards a Memorandum of Understanding covering specialised training, technology transfer and operational procedures.
He also invited an Italian Carabinieri assessment team to Abuja to identify priority needs and develop implementation arrangements.
Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to international partnerships that will strengthen operational readiness, improve investigative capacity and enhance the protection of lives and property.
The statement did not, however, indicate when the proposed training programme would commence or provide a definite implementation timetable.
-
Opinion5 days ago
Ancestorial Worship: My Take (1)
-
Education2 days agoPAMO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY -Nullifies Arrest warrant on VC
-
Rivers2 days ago
Don Seeks Repositioning Of Tech Education For Dev
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
PANDEF Seeks 50% Oil Derivation Allocation Increase
-
Education2 days agoIAUE MOVES TO END GHOST WORKERS SYNDROME AS 400 NEW NON-TEACHING STAFF UNDERGO MANDATORY ETHICS TRAINING
-
News2 days agoFresh Ebola Scare As NCDC Records Two Cases
-
News2 days ago
Customs Partners EFCC, NDLEA, Others To Tackle Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing
-
News5 days agoFG Must Address Nigerians’ Concerns On Reforms -Shettima …Warns Against Misuse of AI, Social Media