‘Oil Marine Solutions meet global best practices’
President Bola Tinubu has been asked to ensure due diligence in his bid to ensure greater oil production in the Niger Delta for Nigeria to meet her oil quota in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC). Currently Nigeria has failed to meet her 2million per day quota largely due to shortfall associated with oil theft and pipeline vandalisation.
Traditional rulers and youth leaders in the oil producing Niger-Delta who spoke to journalists independently across the oil rich region also identified Pipeline Infrastructure (Ocean Marine Solution) as one of the most efficient groups that has brought dignity to the oil region through professional intervention in stopping oil theft and pipeline vandalisation.
They said the future of onshore and offshore oil production depends on the Federal Government’s ability to retain the best of the pipeline contractors whose activities have led to increased oil production through drastic reduction of oil theft, pipeline vandalisation and creek terrorism.
‘We have never seen such a strategic intervention that has brought peace to the Niger Delta which is necessary to guaranteed oil production and ensure sustainable development in our recent political and economic history’, His Royal Majesty Wilson Ojakovo told journalists in his Ughelli, Delta State palace on Wednesday.
He spoke further ‘First and for most, I want the Pipeline Infrastructure to continue. Since when they were given the job, there have been no record of vandalizing and that makes us to have trust in them. That they are working because those boys that are vandalizing will not relent. But when they see the people are not working, they’ll just get there and do what they want to do. If they know that the security is tight they will not vandalize them again. On that note I and on behalf of our communities now recommend them to President Tinubu to let them continue.’
The Nigerian central government had responded to oil shortfalls by engaging community stakeholders empowered to work with security operatives in removing all obstacles to greater oil output. The initiative has seen dramatic improvement in oil production and reasonable harmony in a region once associated with violence and creek terrorism.
Speaking on the situation in the Niger Delta, Former Chairman of Egbokodo Community Canaan Ajagbawa said President Tinubu will leave his name etched in gold if he retains the Pipeline Infrastructure adding that more than 50,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries look up to the group for survival apart from the value added to a stable oil production in the Niger-Delta.
The Military high command on Thursday said Nigeria has denied oil thieves a whooping N4bn while 6.6million litres of stolen crude oil; 3.5million litres of AGO; 200,000 litres of DPK and over 65,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirits have been retrieved from oil thieves between June and August 2023.
A top military officer who does not wish to be named identified Pipeline Infrastructure Limited (Ocean Marine Solutions) as a major source of the success story of the combined armed forces in the Niger Delta.
‘We appreciate the private efforts. Security is all about the people. We need to work with locals. They live here and this is their land. One of them, Pipeline Infrastructure has shown rare commitment, rare vision, professional expertise in assisting the Federal Government to stabilise oil production in the Niger-Delta. This group has shown tremendous capacity to ensure security in the oil producing areas. They have supported the efforts of the Federal Government in areas of intelligence gathering, surveillance and deep knowledge of oil matters, backed with an impressive command in protection of critical infrastructure and oil theft prevention for prosperity of the country’, the senior officer said. He said the strength of the company is derived from its recruitment policy which he said is motivated by merit and effective training that meets global standards.
He said there are people in government who does not want the Federal Government to retain the private stakeholders adding that such groups are motivated by personal gains and their desire to reverse the gains of the past few months. ‘These people working against retention of the contractors are agents of pirates and the global network of oil thieves who make billions of cash from the crime committed by oil thieves,’ he added.
