Bayelsa Royal Father Cautions Youths Against Pipeline Sabotage, Citing Environmental Havoc

Key stakeholders from oil and gas producing communities in Bayelsa State, including the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, have urged the Federal Government to increase its collaboration with these host communities. Their goal is to ensure robust pipeline security and boost Nigeria’s crude oil production.

This call comes as His Royal Highness David Oseni, a traditional ruler from Elebele community in Bayelsa State, delivered a stern warning to young people. He cautioned them against engaging in oil pipeline vandalism, emphasizing that the environmental damage caused by such acts poses severe, long-term threats to local livelihoods, agricultural activities, and aquatic ecosystems.

Speaking on Monday in Bayelsa State at the bi-monthly stakeholders’ forum, organized by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for host communities, participants advocated for the Federal Government to adopt PINL’s successful model of consistent engagement with local communities.

Famous Daunemigha, the Second National Deputy President of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, informed journalists that PINL’s operations in the Eastern Corridor have been marked by regular consultations with host communities along the Trans Niger Pipeline. He noted that this approach has significantly contributed to the success in securing the pipelines.

Daunemigha stressed that host communities are crucial partners in the oil and gas value chain and cannot be overlooked. He stated, “PINL has done well; they have been relating with all the critical stakeholders for over a period now. We can see there is ownership of the process. We all own it. We are now like partners in progress.”

He further added, “The Nigerian government have also seen that when the people that own the pipeline, own the resources, are part of the process of securing it, it’s easier for them to achieve peace. You can put 1,000 soldiers on the pipeline; you will not achieve it. But when the people are okay and happy with you, with the way PINL is doing, the people will be part of it; they will own it, leading to steady oil production.”

According to the Ijaw youth leader, Bayelsa State is currently experiencing zero infractions on its pipelines because communities have embraced ownership of the protection process, largely due to PINL’s consistent engagement. He remarked, “There is no infraction. It means that the people that owned the resources are ready to protect it. This is feedback to the Federal Government that; look at the model that are being used by PINL by engaging the host communities as the owners of the resources and their subsidiaries. They can use that model and apply to their own dealings with us as well. By so doing, Nigeria will have a steady revenue which will trickle down to all of us.”

HRH Oseni also acknowledged PINL’s efforts in environmental protection and reiterated his warning to youths against tampering with oil and gas pipelines, highlighting the severe negative consequences for both the communities and the environment. The monarch described PINL’s community engagement strategy as a transformative factor in surveillance activities.

He emphasized, “Oil spill is doing more damage to the environment. Our food, our crops, our aquaculture, the negative impact is coming back to us, not the Federal Government, not these multinationals, but to us.” Oseni continued, “If we destroy the pipes today and the negative impact comes to the environment, your family, your mother, your parents, everybody will suffer. So please, it’s a take-home message.” He concluded, “Since PINL have decided to integrate the traditional rulers and the leaders of various communities, there is a relative peace, and we must learn how to sustain it and build on it.”

Hon. Living Meeting, who represents Ekeremor Constituency II, noted that the company’s initiatives have brought benefits to both the Federal Government and the host communities. “What the PINL is doing is seemingly primarily benefiting the Federal Government, but of a truth, our communities tend to benefit more. At one point, our oil infrastructure was suffering a lot of sabotage, and the impact of the sabotage was always creating havoc on our communities,” he explained.

He elaborated on the local impact: “When the pipeline is tampered with and oil leaks into the rivers, it becomes a problem for our local fishermen to survive. Our environment cannot thrive without its natural habitat. So, what the PINL has done has also benefited us by way of protecting the infrastructure so that the devastation that comes with the equipment failure and everything can be contained.” The lawmaker commended PINL’s operational strategy and called on host community stakeholders to maintain their support for the company.

Earlier in the forum, Dr Akpos Mezeh, PINL’s General Manager for Community and Government Relations, informed attendees that the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bayelsa has experienced a prolonged period of zero infractions, especially since August. He reminded stakeholders of their crucial role in helping the Federal Government achieve its oil and gas production targets for 2027–2030.