By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
As efforts to put an end to the continuous vandalisation of pipelines in the country, Private Depot of Oil and Gas Marketers Association of Nigeria ( PDOGMAN) has inaugurated a security surveillance team in Benin City in collaboration with the Edo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The formation and inauguration of the joint security surveillance team is the product of a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) between the NSCDC and PDOGMAN.
The Assistant Commander, Edo State Command of the NSCDC, Emmanuel Ojile who represented the Edo State Commander of NSCDC, assured that the command has what it takes to protect all federal government’s critical assets and infrastructure in Edo State and the country in general, adding that it has Divisional Officers in all the eighteen local government areas of the state that can be called upon in case of any emergency.
While enumerating why NSCDC gave the PDOGMAN officials in the team training, the Edo State Assistant Commander urged all the inaugurated officers to be deligent in the discharge of their duty.
“We have a core mandate to protect all federal government assets and infrastructure across the country. We are happy to be part of this success story that Edo State branch of PDOGMAN is being inaugurated today. We have the capability to interface and protect, even at the state headquarters, we are available for you to work with”, he assured.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the National Secretary of PDOGMAN, Mr. Fred Ufuah said the inauguration of the joint security surveillance team was made possible because of the MoU the body entered into with NSCDC which spelt out all the legal requirements of the operation which he said is for three years in the first instance.
According to Ufuah, “we signed an MoU, a legal document with them to collaborate in the security activity. The legal document was signed in July last year and it has three years tenure which is subject to renewal based on the performance of the officers in the job. Before the signing of the MoU, our officers ungo lectures and training from the NSCDC command”.
Ufuah admonished the PDOGMAN officials not to carry arms while on duty pointing out that they remain civilians, adding that all they’re expected to do are specified in the signed document with the NSCDC.
While reminding the team members that the Benin NNPC petroleum products Depot became moribund because of pipeline vandalisation, Ufuah urged them to hand over to the officials of NSCDC anyone caught vandalising petroleum pipelines or any other oil installation.
In his remarks, the Edo State Co-ordinator of PDOGMAN, Endurance Enaluna promised to work with the team and ensure the confidence reposed in them is not betrayed while pledging to abide by the rules of engagement formulated by PDOGMAN for their duty.
High point of the occasion was the administration of oath of office for the team members by the the Legal Adviser of the association, Alhaji Ayanleke Musa.
