By Godwin Chukwumaechi
Pipeline surveillance company, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd (PINL), on Saturday concluded a week-long distribution of food palliatives to its 215 pipeline host communities across the four Niger Delta states of Abia, Bayelsa, Imo and Rivers.
This is as the host communities have commended PINL for what they described as an “unprecedented show of love” to them, more than since the pipelines came to their communities.
Over 31 communities across four local government areas, which included Etche, Obio/Akpor, Emohua and Ikwerre, on Saturday formed the concluding batch of recipients for a week-long and cross-region distribution of food palliatives.
The exercise which began on Monday had the company reaching out to benefitting communities assembled at six different strategic distribution points to receive different food items including rice, beans, garri, Indomie, salt, among others.
It was led by Deborah Okunbo, Chief Executive Officer CEO, Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited, assisted by Dr. Akpos Mezeh, Community Relations Consultant for PINL.
The palliatives distribution began on Monday with a press conference during which the CEO Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited, consultants to PINL on CSR programme, explained that the exercise was part of a bouquet of Corporate Social Responsibility CSR programme packaged by PINL for its pipeline host communities.
Preceding the palliatives distribution was a consultation of 11 top traditional rulers of the host communities to inform them of the planned exercise, with the monarchs praising the move and pledging their support. In some instances, they made suggestions on the modalities to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
It commenced at the Tai local government secretariat at Saapkenwa, for about 35 communities across Andoni, Bonny Eleme, Gokana and Tai local government areas, moving to Owaza community in Ukwa West local government area on Tuesday, were 32 different communities in Abia and Rivers states were served.
Wednesday was the turn of pipeline host communities in Bayelsa state where 52 communities of southern Ijaw, Ogbia, and Yenagoa received, in addition to food palliatives mattresses and blankets as part of relief package for the recent flooding experienced by some communities there.
It was the turn of 19 pipeline host communities of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, Imo State on Thursday when the PINL representatives visited Ohaji local government area to reach out to them with their own food palliatives.
On Friday, the PINL food palliatives train landed at Ahoada East at St. Paul’s State Primary School, Ahoada, where 37 communities from Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abual/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas were assembled to receive their portion of food palliatives and relief materials.
The six days palliatives tour of communities was concluded at Emohua Local Government Secretariat where Emohua, Etche, Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor local government areas gathered to receive their share of the food palliatives.
Addressing traditional rulers and representatives of the communities, at the Emohua council secretariat on Saturday, Chief Executive Officer of Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited, Deborah Okunbo, who is consultant to PINL on the CSR programme, said; “The purpose of this is to first appreciate the support and corporation we’ve enjoyed from the host communities along this axis and also to solicit for more support and effort towards curbing pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering.
“We want to emphasise that the main target of this CSR programme is to give the people a sense of ownership and responsibility to the assets on their land, encourage them to be part of their security and protection thereby eliminating pipeline vandalism, oil theft and kpo-fire in the communities,” she added.
Hon Wordu Obindah, representative of the chairman, Emohua Local Government Area, Chief Hon David Omereji, commended PINL for maintaining a cordial relationship with its host communities, which culminated in the distribution of food palliatives as well as appreciation of the peaceful environment communities had ensured for the company to operate in.
Wordu pointed out that one of the mantras of the David Omereji administration at Emohua LGA is the sustenance of peace and security, adding that “We have 280 security vigilantes, making sure that the environment and the communities in Emohua are peaceful. So for us as a local government, we are comfortable with what (palliatives distribution) is happening here today.”
In a response, which echoed what representatives of other communities had said earlier, Chief Adolphus Nyegbeke Umesi, Paramount Ruler of Omuobizu and Chairman, Ibaa Council of Chiefs expressed appreciation to PINL for the gesture, describing it as the first of its kind to the communities.
He said; “We celebrate PINL, for the palliatives, we have not seen this before, but this one has motivated us to be here. That’s why we are patient, we are salivating, we are hoping, we are celebrating. So that’s why we are here.
“My feeling is that these people will not be like other multinationas in our communities because what they’ve done now is a conviction that good things will come. And we also have assured them that vandalization has to stop. We have to make sure of that by working day and night. So, we just urge them to keep up the good work”.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the sidelines of the palliatives distribution, Learn and Leadwise’s Deborah Okunbo assessed the programme as a huge success, devoid of any sad incident and thanked God for His mercy.
“I feel fulfilled. I really thank God for the success of it. There were no incidences, no issues whatsoever. Everything went seamlessly. I mean all the 215 communities have been attended to and each one has received their palliatives and looking forward to the next feature on the initiative, on the CSR initiative by the organization.
“So, most of the community spoke highly of PINL. They were quite happy with the gesture. Of course, they solicited for more. Oliver asked for more. But they said it was first of its kind. And, you know, they would give their full support to whatever PINL is expecting of them. And they hope for better working relations with the organization.
“Yes, of course, it was a positive response. I was glad to hear what they had to say. I’m hoping that the cordial relationship with the communities will continue and it would lead to elimination of pipeline vandalism and Kpo fire”.
She assured the people that with their continued cooperation with the company, the CSR programme, which she said is a one-year programme would be concluded with the medical outreach, skill acquisition, agriculture training, among others.
She encouraged youths to stop pipeline vandalism saying “If they’re able to contain that, then we’re able to increase production, the economy will get better.
“I do understand that there are challenges all around, but an innovative mind, if you’re innovative enough and intelligent enough to bust pipeline, you can actually use the intelligence to do something more positive. So what I would encourage is for us to look for better ways to channel our intelligence to doing productive and positive things that will bring progress not just to the individual but also to our communities at large.
“Because we see that when we burst pipelines it actually affects the environment our lands become unuseful to us we are not able to farm or fish, you know, and such things affect the livelihoods of the people in the community, their health as well and in the long run you find out that poverty would become prevalent in that environment. But if we’re able to channel our energies and our intelligence to more productive things then you find out that prosperity would abound in the communities and there’ll be little or no, in fact elimination of vandalism altogether. There was a time there was no vandalism of pipelines that’s where we want to get back to and improve on that as well,” she said.
