By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt.
Efforts by the Federal Government to restart crude oil production in Ogoniland, with capacity for 200,000b/pd, has received a boost as Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited PINL on Thursday midwifed a peace deal among warring factions of the very important crude oil community.
The peace deal, which brings to an end decades of bloody intra-community conflict which has negately impacted crude oil production activities and to a significant boost to daily production target as the Nigerian government aims for 2.5-million b/pd.
The feat by PINL, the pipeline surveillance contractor covering the eastern corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) is furtherance of its peace and consensus building among its 215 pipelines host communities, which has greatly to daily throughput on the TNP to 100 percent.
Bodo in Gokana local government of Rivers State is a major oil bearing community and an artery for oil pipelines, gathering crude oil from various pipelines and locations, including the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) to the export terminal in Bonny.
However, intra community squabbles among different armed gangs had for decades plague the community leading to loss of lives, development and empowerment opportunities accruing from oil production activities in the community, like participation in pipeline surveillance operations and other corporate social responsibility benefits from Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd (PINL), the surveillance contractor on the eastern corridor of the TNP.
But through its robost community engagement and peace building initiatives, PINL has been able to reconcile the various factions and on Thursday brought them together to sign a peace deal, thus ending all forms of disagreements among the factions and opening them to opportunities deliverable from the pipeline surveillance contract, among others.
Some of the key stakeholders at the meeting included, the Paramount Ruler of Bodo City, HRH, King John B. Berebon, political and youth leaders of the community, Officials of PINL, representatives of the Minister of Petroleum (Oil), National Security Adviser (NSA) the Project Management Office (PMO) and Department of State Services (DSS).
Hon Eddie Julius, Special Adviser to the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil) on Host Communities, while speaking on the significance of the peace deal described it as as timely, especially to the country and oil industry saying it would guarantee safe operations that would result in increased crude production in Bodo and the entire Ogoniland.
He said; “you know for sometime now re-entry into Ogoni has become an issue within the Ogoni, the oil industry and the Federal Government but today this peace deal will translate to production, a peaceful relationship with the communities, the youth leaders, community excos and every other person in the community, which will also translate back in their communities as development. What we have achieved with this peace deal is something that in the next few months you will live to testify in it”.
He informed the community representatives that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was happy with Bodo community promising; “within the shortest possible time we will come over there to see how things are going on”.
“As Special Adviser on Host Communities, I’m a community man and I sincerely thank PINL for seeing this peace deal to this successful end. We standing here don’t know what this deal translates. But we thank God because this is what everyone desires for his community. By the grace of God, next few months when we meet all will be joyful that we are meeting together. For sometime we could not see eye to eye but today everyone is sitting and eating together and exchanging handshakes of love. That’s what I want us to keep henceforth.
“You know crisis never helps. It’s only understanding and accommodating yourselves that bring development to your place”.
He thanked PINL, and all who facilited the peace deal including the NSA’s office, the PMO and the Ministry of Petroleum.
“We will continue to monitor the activities to ensure that this deal remains intact because the increase of oil production in the country will drive development to your land and your relationship with PINL will also bring Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects to your community and today, you managing the pipeline contract will also translate to other sorts of development and empowerment for you and your people”.
“So all what we are begging is when you get back to your community, preach peace to every other person because after shooting guns we will still come to sit at a round table to agree. So if that’s the case why do we need to shoot guns in the first place”.
Also speaking on the importance of the peace deal the Admin, National Security Adviser NSA Niger Delta Office, Port Harcourt, Young Harry Amakiri, informed that it was significant to help in achieving the mandate of the President to increase oil production to 2.5-million barrels per day noting that crisis any where that affects production, would affect that negatively.
Amakiri stated; “This peace accord that you have come to sign today, is reconciliation. Forget about your differences and embrace it and work in unity to meet that task given to the nation. I want to plead with every one of you; as you sign this peace accord, forget about your differences work together harmoniously.
He warned; “If you sign this peace accord and you do otherwise, we will come for you. When I say we will come for you, the federal government will come for you- nobody can save you. As I’m talking to you, there are two things that the Presidency under the National Security Adviser is on ground working. They are prosecuting all those thieves, the bunkerers. They have the prosecuting team and the investigation team. So if you engage in anything that will stop the production of oil, you’re also a thief and we will come for you. If you like use torch light phone. so far there’s a sim card in that phone, we will come for you. As I am talking to you, they are seeing you there as I’m here. You don’t joke with security I will plead with us to make use of your time now and develop your community.
He thanked PINL for achieving the peace deal saying that it has earned them additional mark to their already high marks in the execution of their mandate on security of the TNP.
Earlier, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, PINL, General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations, pointed out that because of the crisis in Bodo community PINL was forced to give out the pipeline surveillance jobs for the community to outsiders saying that only the community was thus affected out of all the other 214 pipeline host communities.
“We knew that it was wrong but as at then, we felt that it was the only way to manage the situation pending when we correct the wrong and for almost two years now if not more, we have gotten feedback from the community that we should do the right thing. And we also used so many ways to find out whether it was actually the time for us to right the wrong”.
“The feedback we have gotten has confirmed that we needed to replicate whatever strategy we have applied in the entire 214 communities so the reason why we are here today is for us to handover the surveillance of Bodo to Bodo indigenes so that they will be solely accountable for whatever happens. They will be responsible for pipeline infractions. And we believe that particularly from two years experience, since we started the surveillance operations, on the TNP, the Bodo has been very hospitable if not for some minor experiences in the community. The truth of the matter is that people are blowing the disagreement out of proportion. Perhaps for whatever reasons they are doing”.
He expressed appreciation to the leaders of Bodo, represented by the king of Bodo city, HRH John B. Berebon, Dr. Gabriel Pidomson and Chief Kenneth Kobani for all the sacrifices they made to ensure that peace was achieved.
Speaking on behalf of the Bodo people, its paramount ruler, HRH John B. Berebon pledged to maintain the peace and to continue to preach it among his subjects, especially the youths. He also promised that the community would join forces with other stakeholders to secure all national assets in the community, especially the TNP.
“As a paramount ruler of Bodo City, as part and parcel of the government of Nigeria for the rest of my life, I will not accept or condone any person that will sabotage the nations economy, particularly the pipeline. I will never . I know I suffer a lot because I say I didn’t want to be part of this or that. I suffered for over a year plus. My throne was denied me because I said no, don’t tamper with that pipeline when people were saying they will give 200-million they will give this for that pipeline. That was the genesis of the crisis I was having.
He also pointed that people from outside the community had been the ones instigating the crisis for their selfish interests and thanked Dr. Gabriel Pidomson and Chief Kenneth Kobani for facilitating the peace process.
He advised the youths to understand that a peaceful Bodo city was in their own interest and so they should work hard to ensure that nothing disrupted it any further reiterating the warning from the NSA office against anyone found trying to disrupt operations or involving themselves in oil theft.
The paramount ruler said; “So when we sign here now, that we need the pace, the peace we are signing here now is not because we need to be involved in the pipeline business. We are here to have total peace for ourselves and for the development that will come into this community”.
He called for continuous engagement of the community by PINL and other stakeholders. “Keep relating with me as the paramount ruler. So that we continue to get good result. By the time we keep on going in that direction, I know that we will keep on succeeding. And there will be no loopholes in these issues”.
In separate remarks, Dr. Pidomson, and Chief Kobani who are former Secretaries to Rivers State Government (SSG) called for fairness to the community and all the stakeholders saying that they should be treated as the other 214 pipeline host communities of PINL.
They also assured that they would do their best to keep the youths together in peace and unity to achieve the expectations of the federal government of increasing crude oil production.
Highlight of the occasion was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the community leadership and representatives of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
