Agorehmi Bright, Reporting
HOST communities and stakeholders along the Eastern Gas Network (EGN) have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) to settle outstanding payments owed to surveillance contractors and guards securing gas pipelines.
The communities also demanded inclusion in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes of both companies.
Speaking on behalf of the EGN host communities and stakeholders at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the Paramount Ruler (Nye Nwe Ali) of Elele-Alimini Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, warned that the communities were concerned that surveillance contractors and guards were being owed a backlog of entitlements, a situation that has adversely affected families who depend on the stipends for survival.
He said the prolonged delay in payment has created anxiety and dissatisfaction among members of the communities.
The monarch warned that if the situation persists, it could undermine the goodwill existing among the communities, PINL and NNPCL.
“The surveillance guards have families and responsibilities. They depend on the timely payment of their earnings to meet basic needs, while community stakeholders have continued to support the programme and mobilise their people in the interest of pipeline security.
“The prolonged delay has understandably created anxiety, dissatisfaction and uncertainty among our people. We are concerned that if this situation persists, it could undermine the goodwill and confidence that have been painstakingly built between the host communities, PINL and NNPCL,” he said.
The monarch emphasised that the ultimatum does not connote a withdrawal of their support for pipeline protection, but an appeal for prompt fulfilment of obligations that sustain their participation and commitment.
The communities therefore called on PINL and its client, NNPCL, to take immediate steps to reconcile all outstanding obligations and commence payment of the full backlog owed to surveillance contractors, guards and eligible community stakeholders along the Eastern Gas Pipeline Network.
They also demanded that both organisations ensure that payment of surveillance contractors, guards and eligible stakeholders resumes promptly and is sustained in accordance with agreed contractual and administrative arrangements.
The royal father added that Eastern Gas Pipeline host communities should be formally integrated into PINL and NNPCL scholarship, youth and women empowerment and other community development programmes, based on transparent eligibility criteria.
The communities further requested that PINL and NNPCL engage recognised traditional rulers and community stakeholders to communicate a clear payment schedule, address outstanding concerns and establish a sustainable mechanism for resolving future disputes.
“We hereby give PINL and NNPCL a two-week grace period from the date of this public statement to resolve the outstanding payment issues and demonstrate concrete action towards the inclusion of our communities in relevant CSR programmes.
“We expect this period to result in meaningful progress, including the settlement of the backlog, the resumption of regular payments and the formal inclusion of our communities in the relevant development initiatives,” the communities stated.
They, however, noted that the operations of PINL have ushered in peace and security in their communities and along the gas lines, adding that their ultimatum was not intended to undermine the operations of PINL or NNPCL, nor was it an attempt to discourage investment in their region.
They insisted that their demand was a necessary appeal for fairness, accountability and fulfilment of obligations to communities that have embraced the responsibility of protecting critical national infrastructure.
“Our communities have keyed into the vision of community-based pipeline surveillance. Our people understand the strategic importance of the Eastern Gas Pipeline Network to national energy security and economic development, and they have continued to contribute to its protection.
“We remain committed to peaceful engagement and constructive dialogue. However, the patience of our people must not be mistaken for an absence of legitimate concerns,” the monarch said.
