Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities have passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Tinubu, the management of NNPC Limited, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) and its Managing Director, Dr. Osahon Okunbor, over the improvements in pipeline security, crude oil recovery and production.
The resolution followed the adoption of a subcommittee report on a petition against PINL at a special sitting of the Committee, in Abuja.
The report recommended that the Nigerian Government extend PINL’s pipeline surveillance contract and that the allegations against the company and its Managing Director be declared unsubstantiated.
The petition, dated September 5, 2026, was filed by the Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities Reform Movement (ND-OCRIM), which alleged improper contract implementation, mismanagement of contract funds, the need for a forensic review of PINL’s finances, personal expenditure linked to the Managing Director and neglect of surveillance personnel.
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However, the subcommittee found that the petitioners failed to appear despite three invitations issued on September 14, September 22 and October 5, 2026.
It also noted that the petitioners neither sent representatives nor provided documentary evidence to support their allegations.
PINL, on its part, appeared before the subcommittee and submitted a written report, titled The Impact of PINL Operations on Oil Production and Stability of the Niger Delta, alongside geotagged photographic evidence.
Based on the evidence before it, the subcommittee concluded that the allegations against PINL and Dr. Okunbor had not been substantiated.
It recommended that the Committee dismiss the petition, discontinue further investigation into the matters raised and acknowledge the company’s contribution to pipeline protection.
The report further recommended a vote of confidence in President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the management of NNPC Limited and the pipeline surveillance contractors named in the report.
A major finding highlighted in the report was the improvement in crude oil reaching the Bonny Terminal through the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), with PINL’s submission showing that the proportion rose from three per cent in May 2022 to 98 per cent in September 2026.
The subcommittee also noted that Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, which had been shut in for 18 months, was restarted within 90 days of PINL’s engagement.
It further recorded that 2,049 illegal connections had been remediated and 1,010 illegal refinery clusters destroyed.
The company’s submission stated that its operations, which commenced in August 2022, covered 215 host communities and involved more than 35,600 surveillance guards, supported by 28 forward bases, 130 boats, 175 vehicles, 25 drones and 454 Government Security Agency personnel.
Community Development
On community development, the report highlighted PINL’s provision of more than 5,000 scholarships, skills training for over 4,000 women and girls, as well as flood relief to more than 10 communities in Rivers State.
The Committee also commended the leadership of NNPC Limited for providing an enabling environment for pipeline security operations and urged PINL to sustain its engagement with host communities and maintain attention to the welfare of surveillance personnel.
The lawmakers’ position comes amid continuing efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and improve crude oil output, which remains a major source of government revenue and foreign exchange.
The subcommittee recommended that the Nigerian Government extend PINL’s pipeline surveillance contract, while encouraging the company to sustain its operational achievements and community development initiatives.
