Flooding: Examining PINL’s Intervention in Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo

Emmanuel Addeh writes that the intervention for victims of the deadly 2022 torrential floods by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), one of the oil servicing firms in the Niger Delta, remains a model for its contemporaries.

To put it mildly, the 2022 episode of Nigeria’s intermittent floods has been devastating for many residents of the Niger Delta, leaving in its wake tears and pains.

This year, two of the most impacted states have been Bayelsa and Rivers and to some extent, Imo, with many communities displaced by the natural occurrence while their sources of livelihood were wiped out.

In Bayelsa, for instance, by October, seven local government areas of the state, namely: Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama, Yenagoa, Nembe, and parts of Brass, had almost been submerged as the state is literally below sea level.

In all, at least 300 communities were rendered homeless while about a third of the state had their houses taken over by the floods.

In Rivers, over 200 communities in four local councils of Rivers State, including Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA), Ahoada West, Ahoada East and Abual Odual – were affected, rendering thousands homeless and without food.

Despite being the region of Nigeria that produces the most significant portion of Nigeria’s aggregate oil wealth, the Niger Delta which has perennially suffered from environmental neglect, high unemployment and social deprivation, was further thrown into a humanitarian crisis by the impact of the occurrence.

Taking cognisance of the magnitude of the disaster and its avowed commitment to making life more meaningful for the communities where it carries out its operations, PINL, a security asset protection firm run by Osahon Okunbo, seized the gauntlet by ensuring that the pains being experienced by the host communities were ameliorated.

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC FOCUS

Known for providing excellent services in the engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance and security services that consistently meet local and international standards, PINL over the years has shown that people matter.

It provides innovative solutions that are proven cost-effective through the deployment of state-of-the-art technology and modern day equipment to deliver its projects and exceeding clients’ expectations.

“We strongly believe and fully demonstrate a highly safe work environment for our staff, contractors, communities and all parties involved in our projects. We provide a variety of excellent services to key players in the oil and gas industry,” the company says.

As one of the indigenous companies currently working to boost oil production by the provision of security for oil and gas installations on land and offshore locations in conjunction with government security forces, PINL is today, one of the most respected oil servicing firms in the region.

SMILES ON THEIR FACES

Aware of its corporate social responsibility, PINL recently intervened by reducing the pains caused by the floods. Top management staff of PINL gathered  thousands of affected flood victims in the various communities of Rivers, Bayelsa and Imo States as part of its corporate social responsibility.

The Chief Executive Officer/Corporate Managing Director, Okunbo, who led the first phase of distribution of materials in Ahaoda West Local Government Areas of Rivers, Emohua and Abua Odual local governments, said it was part of the company’s effort to support flood victims.

THISDAY learnt that over 23 communities from the three states benefitted from the relief materials distribution. Among items distributed were several bags of rice, indomie noodles, garri, salt, Maggi, vegetable oil, foot wears, clothes, among others. It wasn’t the first time it was happening. The company has in the past provided hundreds of scholarships for the people of the region.

Represented by Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade (rtd) the Project Lead for PINL, Okunbo said the company had been a key partner in the fight against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta.

“The federal government also recently assigned us the responsibility of providing surveillance and maintenance of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) due to our track record of excellent service delivery.

“As a socially responsible company, we are not insensitive to the plight of our partners who have been rendered homeless, besides losing human lives as a result of the ravaging flood.

“We can only be happy if our host communities are happy since we are in business to achieve a mutually beneficial goal.

“Suffice to say that we are partners in progress to sustain production of crude oil which remains the major source of revenue to governments at all levels as well as save the communities from environmental pollution arising from the activities of illegal crude oil refiners.

“We have therefore come to sympathise with you today for your losses due to the natural disaster and also show care by providing a token of support in form of food items and other essentials to mitigate the impact of the flood on the people,” the PINL representative noted.

The company added that it will continue to be socially responsible, explaining that it will not abandon its host communities in its moments of needs.

“Our action is further informed by our social obligation (as good corporate citizen) to support efforts of government in providing solutions to current multifaceted socio-economic challenges in the midst of dwindling revenue.

“We wish to use this opportunity to assure you traditional rulers, Chiefs, Community Development Committees, Youth and women leaders of our determination to carry everyone along as we continue to discharge our corporate social responsibilities with utmost fidelity, transparency and accountability.

“On behalf of PINL, we thank you for the unflinching support and cooperation you have accorded the company since inception of the project,” he said.

The PINL representative also prayed that God will grant the flood victims the strength to speedily recover from the physical and psychological trauma occasioned by the phenomenon.

COMMUNITY LEADERS REACT

On his part, Daddy Green, a community leader, commended PINL, for the donation of food and non-food items to the host communities of pipeline infrastructure.

He said no company had ever shown such gesture to them before now, urging other oil firms to emulate the goodwill of PINL to host community, not to forget them in their trying times.

Receiving the items on behalf of Ahoada, Stephenson Ikah, said his heart was filled with joy, insisting if other companies were behaving the way PINL had behaved, there would not be any problem, as their pipelines are safe and secure.

King Christian Amadi, the paramount ruler of Rumuekpe, in Emuoha, said it was the first time he was seeing such a good gesture from indigenous oil firm.

He said that the community had been very peaceful since they had crisis in 2011, asking that the company should also remember their youths for employment opportunities.

‘INDIGENOUS FIRMS SHOULD TAKEOVER IOCS’

In Bayelsa, the Chairman of Otuesega Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ogbia , Mr. Marcus Raniya, while receiving the items donated to the community accused the International Oil Companies  (IOCs) of neglect and wished that PINL should  take over the responsibilities of the companies operating in their community.

While commending the surveillance company for the donation of the items to the host communities, he said no company had done what the PINL had been doing for the host communities affected by the flood disaster.

A widow from the community, Theresa Godfrey, who took THISDAY around her farms and properties damaged by the flood, said she lost over N3 million as the flood swept away her farms and livestock.

She called on the IOCs and the government to come to the rescue of the community and help them with farm implements and seedlings as the flood ravaged everything they had to even begin farming again.

The paramount ruler of Ikarama Community, in Yenagoa Local Government Area, said the gesture was the first of its kind, urging other oil firms to emulate the goodwill of PINL to their host communities.

He said since the flood began the bigger oil companies had failed to live up to their promises and responsibility, calling on them to come to the community and see for themselves the devastation the flood had caused to their houses, businesses and farmlands.

While assuring PINL of the safety of pipelines, he urged all multinationals operating in the Niger delta region to extend their helping hands to those impacted by the recent flooding that left many people dead and properties worth billions of naira in ruins.

Also, the deputy paramount ruler of Elebele community, in Ogbia Local Government Area, Chief Livingston Fortunate, said the company was special for donating the items to their host communities.

 He called on the major oil companies operating in the region to visit the communities and see for themselves the level of destruction so they could come to the rescue of the indigenes especially the very poor and vulnerable.

Earlier, the Project Director of PINL,  Okunbo, who coordinated the distribution of the materials to the impacted communities in Ogbia, Southern Ijaw and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of the state said, it was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility  to support the victims of the recent flood.

While thanking the people for their unflinching support and cooperation since inception of the project, he wished them speedily recovery from the physical and psychological trauma occasioned by the flood.

He added that so far, over 100 communities had so far benefited from the palliatives which include food, clothing and other household items,  including bags of rice, cartons of noodles, bags of garri, beans, palm oil, among others.

Okunbo assured the traditional rulers, chiefs, youths and women leaders of the affected communities of their determination to carry everyone along with transparency and accountability in their activities.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

QUOTES

“We strongly believe and fully demonstrate a highly safe work environment for our staff, contractors, communities and all parties involved in our projects. We provide a variety of excellent services to key players in the oil and gas industry. As one of the indigenous companies currently working to boost oil production by the provision of security for oil and gas installations on land and offshore locations in conjunction with government security forces, PINL is today, one of the most respected oil servicing firms in the region.”

“On behalf of PINL, we thank you for the unflinching support and cooperation you have accorded the company since inception of the project,”