Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, the company in charge of surveillance operations in the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline, says it has engaged over 35,000 Niger Delta youths on security of oil infrastructure and other critical national assets.
This is as Nigeria’s gas production output has been reported to have risen to 7.59- billion standard cubic feet in the month of July according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulation Commission (NUPRC).
General Manager, Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement of PINL, Akpos Mezeh, announced the figure of the youth employment during the monthly stakeholders meeting with host communities along the Trans Niger Pipeline in Port Harcourt on Thursday
Mezeh said with the additional responsibilities of securing gas assets in the Eastern Corridor, more surveillance jobs have been created for youths in the region.
The PINL official while applauding the federal government’s commitment towards mitigating unemployment in the country and in the Niger Delta, through the expansion of the surveillance contract, urged other tiers of government to provide more opportunities for youths in the Niger Delta.
”At PINL, while our primary mandate is to secure the Trans Niger Pipeline, we have expanded our scope to include other oil and gas facilities, including gas lines in the Eastern Corridor.
”This expanded operations is a call to duty, and aptly aligns with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
”With the recent deployment of additional workers due to the expanded scope, PINL provides direct employment to over 35,000 youths across Niger Delta and oil bearing communities.
”While the federal government has demonstrated commitment towards mitigating unemployment and poverty through initiatives such as pipeline surveillance jobs, we urge other tiers of government to complement these efforts by providing more opportunities for our youths, ” he said.
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Giving a scorecard of their operations in the last one month, Mezeh said the company recorded zero-infractions on the TNP, uninterrupted operations on the Eastern Corridor and peace in host communities, while crude oil losses dropped to a 16 year low as reported by the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Corporation (NUPRC).
He attributed the feat to the collaboration of the communities and stakeholders.
However, he reported that there were attempts to breach the TNP at Bonny and Eleme Local Government Areas but were foiled by the combined team of security personnel, while suspected vandals in Ikata and Ogbo communities of Ahead East are undergoing prosecution by the office of the national security adviser.
Despite the successes, Mezeh regretted that incidents of stakeholders connivance, leadership disputes in some communities amongst others still threaten the smooth operations of the company.
The company assured continued partnership with their partners, the office of national security adviser, the NNPCL and relevant government agencies to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the host communities.
Mezeh urged the cimmunities to continue to work with the firm not just as partners but as a family in securing the TNP on the Eastern corridor.
Meanwhile, stakeholders from the host communities have lauded the company for fighting unemployment in the communities through the engagement of the surveillance workers.
The stakeholders said with the efforts and commitment of the PINL, vandalism, oil theft, and illegal bunkering has drastically reduced in Niger Delta region and Ogoni in particular.
