By David Owei, Bayelsa

Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has awarded scholarships to 600 host community students in Bayelsa State, as the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) called for deepened collaboration between communities and the surveillance firm to sustain the security of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).

Both announcements were made at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by PINL for host communities in Bayelsa, amid ongoing calls by some stakeholders for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts — a position NNPCL’s presence at the meeting appeared to counter.

PINL is the private security firm responsible for the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and the Eastern Gas Network (EGN).

Speaking at the meeting, Engr. Akponime Omojevwe, Head of Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, Project Monitoring Office, NNPCL, said the corporation is pleased with the relationship that has developed between PINL and Bayelsa communities, and urged all parties to consolidate on the progress made.

“I’m usually delighted because the bond in Bayelsa between the communities and PINL is a very strong one. The collaboration is a hundred percent and we don’t want that rating to drop because they have tried so much,” he said.

“Anytime I come here, I’m always happy because I see the collaboration, I see the unity. You can imagine the words of the royal fathers just now — that they are in support of PINL,” Omojevwe added.
He commended stakeholders for their commitment to securing the TNP and called for a complete end to pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering activities.
At the same event, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community and Stakeholder Relations at PINL, presented scholarships to 600 host community students — covering both undergraduate and postgraduate beneficiaries — and announced the commencement of disbursement for women empowerment and youth skill acquisition programmes.

Mezeh said the gesture reflects the value the company places on education and human capital development within its host communities.
“In Bayelsa, we have granted scholarships to 600 students of higher institutions in our host communities, giving them between N500,000 and N1,000,000 each to aid their studies,” he said.
“The granting of scholarships to students of our host communities is a sign that we are committed to their education and human capital development,” he added.
Beneficiaries welcomed the grants, saying the support would ease the financial burden of their studies and sharpen their focus.

One of the beneficiaries
Canus Samuel, a civil engineering student at Niger Delta University (NDU), said: “I can now concentrate well on my studies and make the company and my community proud. I will do my very best to come out with a good CGPA and become a good engineer.”
Mr. Albert, also a postgraduate student at NDU, struck a note that captured the broader spirit of the occasion. “I’m so happy for this privilege because it will enhance our performance in school — most of us don’t have better sources of raising funds. It is a real leverage for us,” he said, before adding: “We are making a commitment to continue to protect our pipeline so that there will be no vandalism and their operations will go smoothly.”

By George Mgbeleke

Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has extended warm felicitations to the people of Rivers State, enjoining them to imbibe the virtues of sacrifice, reconciliation and unity as Christians celebrate the feast of Easter.

In a goodwill message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi as Christians commemorate the feast, Gov Fubara urged residents of the state to emulate Jesus Christ whose sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary, brought forgiveness and reconciliation to mankind.

He described Easter as a sacred season in which Christians are expected to promote peace, unity, and love. Fubara also prayed that the Easter season may bring joy, hope, and renewal to Rivers State and Nigeria.

“As we celebrate Easter, I extend warm wishes to all Christians in Rivers State. The resurrection of Jesus Christ symbolizes hope, renewal, and triumph over adversity. May this season bring peace, joy, and spiritual growth to our lives.

“May the values of love, compassion, and forgiveness guide us in our journey towards a more united and prosperous Rivers State,” he said.

The Governor hailed the resilience of the Christian community and reiterated his unwavering commitment to delivering good governance to the entire people of Rivers State.

He also encouraged the people to continue to support his administration as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasising that progress can only be achieved through collective efforts and unity of purpose.

The Acting National Secretary of the Okun Development Association (ODA), the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Okun-Yoruba people of Kogi State, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, felicitates an illustrious Okun compatriot and multiple award-wining investigative journalist, the Director of News, TVC, Prince Babajide Kolade-Otitoju (BKO), on his attainment of the diamond age.

BKO, as fondly called in Nigeria’s media space, is a renowned investigative journalist who epitomises ethics, professionalism, and courage of conviction.

As the darling of millions of viewers of Journalists’ Hangout, TVC’s flagship current affairs programme, he has earned an uncommon reputation as a bastion of truth and the tomentor-in-chief of purveyors of falsehood.

As a thorough-bred journalist, he has over the years, gone through the crucible of fire in the course of his career, which accounts for the shining gem which he has become.

As a mentor and inspirational figure to millions of young people, BKO has remarkably impacted the career growth of many of his subordinates and young generation media practitioners.

BKO has done so much for the media industry and nation-building in general, by always speaking truth to power; by holding leaders accountable; by engendering the culture of citizen activism; by being a standard-bearer for the media profession, and by promoting high-octane patriotism, and by his high commitment to building good Nigerian society.

As a community development enthusiast and success-enabler, BKO has indelibly impacted Ekinrin-Adde, his homeland, and the people, particularly the youths, many of whom look up to him as role model.

As a public-spirited giver and value-creator, he has succeeded in writing his name on the sands of time as one of the most influential figures of this era in his community.

BKO’s role in bringing to reality, the Ekinrin-Adde Community Radio (Akogba 88.3 FM), will be told to generations. As Chairman of the Technical Committee that established the radio station (whom I served as Committee Secretary), he mobilized resources and deployed his massive social capital to ensure that the radio came on air. He currently serves as the pioneer Chair of the Board of Trustees.

The unprecedented and amazing success-story of the 2025 edition of Ekinrin-Adde Day Celebrations, which he also served as the Chairman of its planning committee, will continue to be reference and remembered for a long time to come in the community.

As a pride of Ekinrin-Adde, Ijumu and the Okun nation in general, he is greatly valued and celebrated as a good Ambassador of his roots, an exemplar of the cherished Omuluabi ethos of the Okun people.

The BKO essence, which was forged in the furnace of hard work and moral discipline, is an enriching inspiration and a booster for career growth and development of young people. It is an enduring legacy of good name, of character nobility, and a refreshing hope for the great future that we desire for our beloved country.

As we celebrate his stepping up to the sixth ladder of life, it is also a celebration of sixty years of diligence; perseverance; courage; sacrifices, brilliance, and of humanity elevation.

On the occasion of this special milestone, it is fit and proper to declare that his life is a blessing to everyone who knows him; that the world has been better because of him, and that the culture of truth is being significantly entrenched in Nigeria’s media space, and public communications, because of the BKO essence.

I pray that God will bless him with many more decades in good health, peace and joy, and all-round fulfilment.

Hearty congratulations and diamond cheers to Omoba Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, a greatly esteemed public intellectual.

By Araba Rufus Aiyenigba