Pipeline Security: Over 55 Reps Pass Confidence Vote In Tinubu, PINL

More than 55 members of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities have passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and PINL’s Managing Director, Osahon Okunbor, over their roles in pipeline surveillance, crude oil production and the protection of oil and gas infrastructure.

The lawmakers also dismissed allegations of ineffectiveness and financial recklessness against PINL, following an investigation by the committee’s technical subcommittee, which found the allegations unsubstantiated by the evidence presented.

The decision followed a review of PINL’s pipeline surveillance contract and its impact on crude oil production, security and community development in the Niger Delta.

The technical subcommittee presented its report at a special sitting of the committee on Tuesday, recommending that the petition against PINL be dismissed in its entirety.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Committee on Host Communities, Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor, said the House of Representatives remained committed to fairness, accountability and due process, stressing that allegations brought before the legislature must be assessed against available evidence before conclusions are reached.

He recalled that the committee received the petition dated September 5, 2026, and subsequently referred it to a subcommittee for a thorough and impartial investigation.

According to Dekor, the committee had assured all parties of a fair hearing in accordance with the Rules of the House, recognising the importance of accountability in public resource management, the protection of critical national assets, effective pipeline surveillance and the welfare of host communities.

The chairman also commended the technical subcommittee for its diligence in examining the allegations and preparing its findings.

The report highlighted PINL’s contributions to pipeline security, community development and crude oil production in Nigeria’s Eastern Corridor.

Among the achievements documented was the employment of more than 35,600 youths as pipeline surveillance guards, providing livelihoods for thousands of young people across the company’s areas of operation.

The report also recognised the company’s educational interventions, including more than 5,000 scholarships awarded to undergraduate and postgraduate students from host communities.

These interventions include a N2 billion scholarship programme supporting 1,500 students across Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia and Imo states.

In Bayelsa State, 600 beneficiaries reportedly received scholarships ranging from N500,000 to N1 million each.

The subcommittee also acknowledged PINL’s skills acquisition and economic empowerment programmes for women and girls, with more than 4,000 beneficiaries reportedly trained in vocational trades and small-business development.

Under its Women’s Skills Development and Enterprise Programme, the company targeted 2,000 women and girls across 215 host communities. The programme also included 1,000 women in Bayelsa State who received N250,000 each.

In addition, PINL reportedly provided relief materials to more than 10 communities in Rivers State affected by the 2022 and 2023 floods.

The company also extended food bank and palliative support to host communities and pipeline surveillance personnel across its operational areas.

According to the report, these interventions help strengthen relationships with host communities and encourage local participation in protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure.

The technical subcommittee recommended that PINL be commended for its role in stabilising crude oil production in the Eastern Corridor.

It also recommended that the company’s operational deployment be sustained as part of efforts to protect oil infrastructure and support the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to between 2.5 million and three million barrels per day.

The report further urged the Federal Government to encourage and expand PINL’s activities over a longer period to consolidate reported gains in pipeline security, youth employment, community engagement and crude oil production.

The committee’s decision followed its examination of the petition and the technical subcommittee’s conclusion that the allegations against PINL were not substantiated by the evidence presented during the investigation.