July 15, (THEWILL) – The Chief Executive Officer of Wis-South Security Ltd, Chief Wisdom Joseph Owo has denied as false and misleading reports that the training of young men and women in Yenagoa was a preparatory step to the take over existing pipelines surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta
Fielding questions from journalists at the Corporate Headquarters of the security outfit in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital at the weekend, Chairman of Private Security Guards in the Niger Delta, Chief Wisdom Joseph Owo, said Wis-South Security Ltd is a category “A” licensed security outfit and functions as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited police with the mandate to monitor its facilities, joint venture oil installations, gather information on the activities of security agents and other multinational companies in the oil and gas industry for the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL Ltd.
He said Wis- South Security Ltd deals directly with NNPCL Ltd and has been providing security for the NNPCL Ltd Tower in Abuja, since 2016
Director of Operations, Chief Womotimi Gabriel Apaingolo noted that the ongoing training of youths was to increase its staff strength and adequately deploy its personnel to monitor, effectively patrol and secure oil facilities in the Niger Delta as part of its mandate as NNPC Ltd police and not an attempt to take over pipeline surveillance contracts from other security companies in the region.
He stated that NNPCL Ltd had written to the Inspector General of Police and all the Service Chiefs about the mandate of Wis- South Security Ltd and the need for the military, other security agencies to work with them to secure NNPCL Ltd facilities.
Chief Womotimi Gabriel Apaingolo who is also the Commandant of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Bayelsa State Command, disclosed that the license granted to Wis-South Security Ltd is not an oil and gas license, adding that it is a good thing to have Niger Deltans carrying out pipeline surveillance contracts which is providing employment opportunities for the youths the region.
He said that the training of personnel is supervised by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
Chief Apaingolo listed the achievements of the security outfit to include arrest of pipeline vandals who were handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution.
Legal Consultant of Wis- South Security Ltd, Barr. E.J Zikenah said it is a frontline security outfit, fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission with Board of Directors, with a mission to carry out covert operations and provide intelligence reports to NNPCL Ltd, identify and arrest companies operating without proper license on oil and gas infrastructure in the region.
Barr. Zikenah noted that security component is an important aspect of the Petroleum Industry Act.
He noted that Wis-South Security Ltd has employed 20,000 youths from the nine oil producing states who were trained by the Nigerian Security And Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in the Department of Private Guards, stressing that NNPCL Ltd has widen the scope of the security outfit to cover the length and breadth of the country following the discovery of crude oil in other parts of Nigeria.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer of the body, John Etekpe stated that the security outfit has an identified uniform and identity card with NNPCL Ltd logo.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
