Successive governments in Nigeria have deployed all necessary means to ensure the stability of the oil sector which forms the bulk of Nigeria’s economy.
At the heart of the oil production in Nigeria is the Niger Delta.
Often youth restiveness in the region has gravely affected the oil production output, putting the economy at risk.
However, involving the host communities to secure the facilities has proven to be one step that has brought peace to the sector.
After the amnesty declared by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the presidency realised the need for community engagement to restore peace to the Niger Delta and stability in the oil supply.
President Goodluck Jonathan gave a bite to the initiative in conjunction with the NNPC by awarding the oil pipeline protection to ex-militants or Niger-Delta agitators.
President Muhammadu Buhari also continued the community engagement and the host communities commended the federal government, highlighting its importance.
However, the gains of this initiative are threatened as the communities are accusing a particular group of people in the region of attempting to dump the scheme to engage the youths.
For them, this can be counterproductive for the government saying an idle hand is a devil’s workshop.
Communities tell FG to stop patronising ex-militants in Nigeria
Still lamenting the killings of 17 soldiers in Okuama, in Delta State stakeholders advised the federal government to stop patronising those with criminal backgrounds to man the oil pipelines.
According to them, this group of people are taking advantage of their involvement to stockpile weapons leading to an upsurge of criminal activities in the region.
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, is one of the companies engaged to protect these oil facilities.
Since its engagement, PINL has surpassed the expectation, it engaged idle youths, discouraged oil theft and restore sanity to the environment.
But recent events are threatening the fragile peace.
Many are envious of its performance and success stories, they will not stop at anything to discredit its good work in the Niger Delta region.
But for the well meaning people of Niger Delta, it is nothing but a mudslinging and they want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to listen to them.
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