Communities and stakeholders along the Eastern Gas Pipeline Network in the Niger Delta have given the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited a two-week ultimatum to settle three months of outstanding allowances owed to surveillance contractors and guards.
The communities also demanded inclusion in the companies’ corporate social responsibility programmes.
Speaking on behalf of the host communities and stakeholders at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, a monarch, Peter Wagbara, expressed concern that surveillance contractors and guards had not been paid for three months, adding that the delay had adversely affected families that depended on the stipends for their survival.
Wagbara, the paramount ruler of Elele-Alimini Community in Rivers State, said the prolonged delay in payment had created anxiety and dissatisfaction among community members.
He warned that if the situation persisted, it could undermine the goodwill between the host communities, PINL and NNPCL.
The monarch stated, “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 PINL and NNPCL.”
He emphasised that the ultimatum did not signify a withdrawal of support for pipeline protection but was an appeal for the prompt fulfilment of obligations that sustained the communities’ participation and commitment.
The communities called on PINL and its client, NNPCL, to take immediate steps to reconcile all outstanding obligations and pay the full backlog owed to surveillance contractors, guards and eligible community stakeholders along the Eastern Gas Pipeline Network.
They demanded that both companies immediately begin the reconciliation and payment process for all verified outstanding payments owed to surveillance contractors and guards for the past three months.
They also called for the payment, without further delay, of all verified and legitimate outstanding sums due to eligible community representatives along the network.
The communities further demanded that payments to surveillance contractors, guards and eligible stakeholders resume promptly and continue in line with agreed contractual and administrative arrangements.
Wagbara added that host communities along the Eastern Gas Pipeline Network should be formally considered for inclusion in applicable PINL and NNPCL scholarship, youth empowerment, women empowerment and other community development programmes, based on transparent eligibility criteria.
The communities also requested that both companies 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 three-month payment backlog, the resumption of regular payments, and formal engagement on our communities’ inclusion in the relevant development initiatives,” the communities stated.
They, however, acknowledged that PINL’s operations had brought peace and improved security to their communities and along the gas pipelines.
The communities said the ultimatum was not intended to undermine the operations of PINL or NNPCL or discourage investment in the region.
They insisted that their demands were necessary appeals for fairness, accountability and the fulfilment of obligations to communities that had 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. Three months of outstanding payments constitute a serious matter that requires urgent attention,” Wagbara stated.