The Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the private security company responsible for the protection of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Eastern Gas Network (EGN) has spent a whopping sum of N750 million as empowerment package for 3,000 women from its 216 communities cutting across Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia States.
Each of the beneficiaries was given N250,000 cheque intended to boost their various businesses and their financial income.
Key Highlights:
- Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited empowered 3,000 women in Niger Delta host communities with N750 million.
- Each woman received N250,000 to support her business and income.
- The company said the initiative was to appreciate communities for supporting anti-vandalism efforts.
- PINL reported zero pipeline vandalism incidents in its operational areas during the past month.
- Community leaders praised the company for its empowerment, scholarship, and security initiatives.
Speaking shortly after presenting cheques to the beneficiaries at the PINL monthly stakeholders engagement on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations of the company, Dr. Akpos Mezeh said the gesture was another way by which the company appreciates members of host communities for their continued support for their operations.
Recall that the company recently spent over 2billion naira as scholarship grant to about 1,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the same host communities to support their academic pursuits.
Mezeh said the empowerment resonates with the company’s core values that the community comes first in her operations.
He used the avenue to counsel youths of its host communities to shun vandalism and other vices and take advantage of the many opportunities provided by the company to better their lives.
”Today is yet another day for us to reward our communities. They have supported us unreservedly in the fight against pipeline vandalism and it’s clear that we are succeeding in that direction.
“So today’s exercise is another way of saying thank you to the communities.
”So I want to use this opportunity to urge our community youths to continue to support us in the fight against pipeline vandalism.
“They should shun any kind of vices and ensure that the communities are peaceful, ensure that production continues to increase for the benefit of the country and the communities, ” Mezeh said.
He said the company was determined to see that the beneficiaries succeed in their respective businesses, noting that a monitoring mechanism has been put in place to check the progress of beneficiaries.
Mezeh informed the stakeholders that the company was winning the war against pipeline vandalism as it recorded zero infractions on the TNP and EGN in their areas of operations in the outgoing month.
”We are having zero infraction on the pipeline in our area of operation. There will be no incident and that shows that we are winning the fight against pipeline vandalism.
“We want to attribute this success to the communities who have been cooperating with us, ” he added.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting lauded the company for the women empowerment initiatives.
Read Also:
- PINL disburses over N2bn scholarship grant to students of host communities
- Nigeria lost $226bn in revenue from 96 dormant oil wells in Ogoni -PINL
- NNPCL applauds synergy between PINL, host communities for increased crude ouput
King of Emohua Kingdom in Rivers State, HRM, Eze Seargent Awuse, recalled that the company had, last month, rolled out youth empowerment. He expressed deep satisfaction with the company’s operations.
”Last sitting you rolled out scholarships for our youths and today you have rolled out women empowerment. We owe you thanks also for securing the infrastructure feeding this nation. Your company has in a very significant way made it possible for more oil to flow with less vandalisation, ” he said.
On her part, the Ada Ekpeye-Logbo, Dr. Patricia Ogbonnaya, thanked the company for heeding to the appeal of the women to include them in their empowerment packages.
She said: “PINL has made us benefit from the oil on our land. We thank you for this empowerment and I want to put it on record and to the Federal Government that PINL is doing more than their assignment. ”
She also noted PINL’s impact on the environment as she said that some species of fishes which had earlier disappeared from their rivers due to pollution are now coming back.
Beneficiaries of the empowerment scheme, Mrs Mercy Edward from Rumuekpe community in Emohua and Mrs Rose Michael from Eneka community in Obio/ Akpor assured the company of maximum utilisation of the resources made available to them by the company.
