By Aaron Ossai
More than 55 members of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities have passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and PINL’s Managing Director, Osahon Okunbor, over their contributions to pipeline security and improved crude oil production.
The lawmakers also dismissed allegations of ineffectiveness and financial recklessness against PINL, declaring that the claims were not substantiated by evidence presented during an investigation by the committee’s technical subcommittee.
The decision followed a review of PINL’s pipeline surveillance contract and its impact on crude oil production, the protection of critical oil and gas infrastructure, and community development in the Niger Delta.
The subcommittee’s report was presented at a special sitting of the committee on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, following an investigation into a petition dated September 5, 2026. It recommended that the petition be dismissed in its entirety.
In his opening remarks, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Dekor Robinson reaffirmed the House’s commitment to fairness, accountability and due process, stressing that allegations brought before the legislature must be determined by evidence.
He said the petition had been referred to the technical subcommittee for an impartial investigation, assuring all parties of a fair hearing in accordance with the rules of the House.
The Chairman commended members of the subcommittee for their diligence in examining the allegations and producing the report.
Beyond dismissing the claims against PINL, the report highlighted the company’s contributions to pipeline surveillance, crude oil production stability and socioeconomic development in host communities, particularly in the Eastern Corridor.
The subcommittee noted that PINL had employed more than 35,600 youths as pipeline surveillance guards, providing legitimate livelihoods for thousands of people across its operational areas.
It also acknowledged the company’s educational interventions, including more than 5,000 scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students from host communities.
Among the initiatives cited was a ₦2 billion scholarship programme supporting 1,500 students in Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia and Imo states. In Bayelsa alone, 600 beneficiaries reportedly received scholarships ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦1 million each.
The report further recognised PINL’s women empowerment programmes, through which more than 4,000 women and girls had reportedly received vocational training and support in small-business development.
Under its Women’s Skills Development and Enterprise Programme, the company targeted 2,000 women and girls across 215 host communities. The initiative included 1,000 women in Bayelsa State who received ₦250,000 each.
The company was also commended for providing relief materials to more than 10 communities in Rivers State affected by the 2022 and 2023 floods, alongside food bank and palliative support for host communities and surveillance personnel.
According to the report, the interventions help strengthen relations between the company and host communities, encouraging local participation in protecting oil and gas infrastructure.
The subcommittee recommended that PINL be commended for its role in stabilising crude oil production in the Eastern Corridor and that its operational deployment be sustained to consolidate the gains recorded in pipeline security.
It also urged the Federal Government to encourage and expand the company’s activities over a longer period, linking sustained pipeline protection to efforts to increase national crude oil production to between 2.5 million and three million barrels per day.
The Committee’s decision highlights the role of legislative oversight in assessing allegations against contractors responsible for critical national infrastructure, while recognising the importance of security, community engagement and accountability in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions.
