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A group, the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) has lauded Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the surveillance firm responsible for protection of oil and gas facilities in the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) for always engaging host communities in its operations.
Recall that PINL holds monthly stakeholders’ meeting to harvest inputs of host communities in its operational areas of Rivers, Abia, Imo and Bayelsa States.
NDPA at a media conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday said the engagement by PINL has created community ownership of the projects, urging other security firms such as Tantita Security Services Limited and others to borrow a leaf and make people of their operational areas benefit from their activities.
President-General of NDPA, Amb. Nse Victor Udoh while speaking at the conference said the group came out with the commendation after a rigorous assessment of communities in the Niger Delta.
He said: “After an assessment of the surveillance contract, NDPA came to the conclusion that PINL should be commended on it’s efforts at regular community engagement while Tantita has to begin to do so in Warri where it covers”.
The group emphasized that the surveillance contract should encourage healthy competition amongst the contractors and not attempt at the companies running each other down.
“NDPA publicly recognises Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, for practices that aligned with this model of community engagement and empowerment. Public reporting shows and we have seen in our region that this same approach has been associated with improved security outcomes. PINL has moved with conviction.
“PINL approved 646 scholarships for youths across 215 host-communities along the Trans-Niger Pipeline corridor in Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia states.
For each of those 215 communities, PINL committed to three scholarship slots per community, ” he Udoh said.
The group added that PINL has formed strategic partnerships with the Office of the National Security Adviser to establish investigative and prosecutorial facilities, reinforcing both community-safety and infrastructure-protection.
On community engagement forums, NDPA stated that PINL convenes host-community stakeholders monthly to review operations, to solicit local input, and to align surveillance efforts with local well-being.
While commending the company, the group urged them to scale up, make their monitoring and community investment visible, accountable and replicable, saying “Your strategy is a template for how sustained empowerment can happen in the Niger Delta”.
NDPA on the other hand, challenged Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited to marry its operations with community development.
” NDPA addresses Tantita with respect and clarity. The region needs your operational competence married to a demonstrable, public commitment to community empowerment”.
Specifically, NDPA urged Tantita to;
“Institute consistent, monthly community engagement sessions in Warri and surrounding host communities, with published minutes and clear action items.
“Publicly publish a short, independently verifiable plan within 30 days that mirrors the core components of the model described here: local employment targets, scholarship commitments, and community amenity projects.
“Enter active collaboration with peer surveillance operators and with recognised community groups to exchange best practices rather than adopt a purely competitive posture”.
The group noted that with the scale of job being handled by Tantita, its operations can effect meaningful changes in the region if it chooses to align its operational footprint with structured community investment,…
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