By Paul Williams
Trans Niger Pipelines (TNP) host communities of Obio/Akpor, Emohua and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of Rivers State have commended the management of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for reaching out to them with palliatives during this Yuletide season.
The communities gave the commendation during the distribution of Christmas Palliatives and medical outreach for at least 35 communities cutting across the three LGAs held at the Emohua Council Secretariat.
They said it was rare to see companies reach out to communities the way PINL has been doing.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Chief Solomon Azunda Wejinya, Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of Ibaa Community noted that aside the palliatives, the company had been regularly engaging with the communities and carrying out empowerment for the community youths and women.
He opined that if other companies have engaged hosts communities the way PINL had been doing there wouldn’t have been any disagreement between them and the oil companies.
Chief Wejinya said; “We want to thank this company. They are a surprise to us. We have been having stakeholders meeting and they have also gone further by arranging scholarship programmes for our people and empowering our women.
”If it has been like this before, I don’t think anybody will have any problem with any oil company or there facilities operating in this area. The company has been so transparent in their operations, ” he said.
The community leader assured PINL of continues partnership in securing the TNP.
”We want to tell you that we are on yourside. The communities of Emohua are very vigilant and I don’t think there will be any vandalism. We are assuring the company that we’ll protect the facilities on our land,” he assured.
Earlier, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement of PINL, while handing out the palliatives said the gesture was their own way of appreciating the communities for their support in ensuring that the TNP was safe and producing maximally.
He said: “We want to appreciate you for the good job you have been doing to ensure that our pipelines are safe and there is no better way to say thank you than doing this.
”We are here not only to provide food items, we are also here with our medical team, ” he added.
Dr. Mezeh thanked the council chairman of Emohua and the various councils for their support, and their partners in the exercise, Learn and Leadwise Resources for the collaboration.
He used the medium to appeal to youths of the respective communities to continue to cooperate with the company to ensure that the pipelines remain free from infractions.
”We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to our communities to maintain the momentum and ensure that we continue to increase production for the country because that will benefit all of us.
”We all know the environmental impacts of pipeline vandalism, so I urge us to continue to ensure zero-infraction on the Eastern Corridor, ” he added.
