?As firm receives wide commendations for unprecedented efforts

Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd (PINL) on Saturday, concluded a week-long palliatives distribution to its 215 host communities cutting across four Niger-Delta states of Abia, Bayelsa, Imo and Rivers.

This is as the communities have commended the company for what they described as an "unprecedented show of love" since the pipelines came to their communities.

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 Miss Deborah Okunbo, Chief Executive Officer CEO, Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited, and ably assisted by Dr. Akpos Mezeh, Community Relations Consultant for PINL.

The palliatives distribution, which concluded without any mishap 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 about 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 State 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, 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.

Speaking to the communities at Emohua on the last day, Miss Deborah Okunbo, CEO, Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited, consultant to PINL on the CSR programme repeated the message to all the other benefitting communities.

She restated that; "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".

"Once again 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.

I his response, which also 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".

While in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the end of the palliatives distribution, Miss 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."

?PHOTO: Miss Deborah Okunbo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Learn and Leadwise Resources Limited (in white long sleeves shirt) supervising the distribution of the palliatives.

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