By Godwin Chukwumaechi
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the firm entrusted with securing the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), has intensified stakeholder engagement with communities and other stakeholders on the pipeline corridor.
The engagement scheduled for next week is a follow up to similar engagements and sensitizations PINL held with the 215 pipeline host communities, in a bid to create a sense of ownership in the communities and stakeholders of the critical national asset.
PINL’s Community Relations consultant, Dr Akpos Meze who announced the stakeholders engagement in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said traditional rulers, youth and women leaders from the communities on the Trans Niger Pipeline corridor covering Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia states are expected to be part of the meeting.
Dr Meze also noted that top political actors from the four states especially Rivers State where the political crisis rocking the state has been blamed to be fueling the cases of pipeline vandalism are expected to be in attendance.
While emphasizing that PINL was not partisan in the matter he insisted that the essence of this edition of the meeting with the various interest groups was to drive a peace process and ultimately secure the pipeline to ensure greater output to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
He expressed optimism that the meeting fixed for Monday, 31st March and Tuesday, 1st April respectively in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa would help end further infractions on the TNP.
Dr. Meze stated; “There is that impression that the recent blast on the Trans Niger Pipeline under our management could have been avoided, so what we intend doing as this stakeholders meeting of all the community leaders, government representatives and all actors is take steps to forestall further infractions.
“The meeting is to ensure that everybody is on the same page and carry same vision for more oil output and increase the Gross Domestic Product of the country”.
He used the opportunity to clear the air on the recent blast on the TNP pipeline in Bodo, Gokana LGA of Rivers State, describing it as a clear case of sabotage.
He explained that for a long time before the recent incident, the company has maintained zero infractions on the pipeline and want to immediately return to the status.
Dr Meze however, confirmed that the pipeline has since returned to full operation, saying; “The Trans Niger Pipeline has been fixed and it’s currently working at 100% output.
The PINL consultant used the occasion to reveal that the company had since inception been involved in Corporate Social Responsibility in the host communities including providing relief materials for flood victims in Bayelsa State after the 2022 floods, distribution of palliatives last year December to all host communities in amongst others.
