September 11, (THEWILL) – The Chief Executive Officer of Wis-South Security Ltd, Chief Wisdom Joseph Owo, has urged the Sole representative of the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwase lll, Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, to cross-check facts relating to the ongoing cadets training embark upon by the security company at the Petroleum Training Institute in Effurun, Warri, Delta State.
He gave the charge while reacting to a statement emanating from the Office Of the Sole Representative Of His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwase lll and Liaison Partner to NNPCL, dated September 9, 2024, titled; “IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT” signed by Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, with an opening paragraph, “Our attention has been drawn to an alleged pipeline surveillance training being done for NNPCL by WIS-SOUTH SECURITY LTD, at Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun.”
Chief Wisdom Joseph Owo, who doubles as the Chairman of Private Security Guards in the Niger Delta and also, Chairman Niger Delta People in Abuja, who hails from Diebu, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, said Wis-South Security Ltd is a category “A” licenced security outfit fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), started operations in 2016, with its National Headquarters along Azikoro Road, Opposite Ekeki Divisional Police Headquarters in Yenagoa and function as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Police, with the mandate to monitor its facilities and joint venture partner installations, gather information on the activities of security agents and other multinational companies in the oil and gas industry and avail the management of NNPCL Ltd for informed decision making to protect critical national assets.
He said Wis-South Security deals directly with NNPCL and also provides security for the NNPCL Tower in Abuja.
Also throwing more light on the operations of Wis-Security, the Director of Operations, Chief Apaingolo Womotimi Gabriel, noted that the ongoing training of cadets, cut across the nine states that made up the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to increase the staff strength of the security outfit, to cope with the scope of its mandate as NNPCL official Police, to adequately deploy their personnel to monitor, effectively patrol and secure oil facilities in the Niger Delta and not an attempt to take over pipeline surveillance contracts from other security companies or defraud people
He hinted that NNPCL, has written to the Inspector General of Police and all the Service Chiefs of the Nigerian Armed Forces of the mandate of Wis-South Security Ltd and have been enjoying a robust working relationship with the Military, Police, Navy and NSCDC, to secure NNPCL facilities.
Chief Womotimi Gabriel Apaingolo, who is also the Commandant, Civilian Joint Taskforce of the Bayelsa State Command, stated that the license granted to Wis-South Security Ltd is not into oil and gas and not into pipeline surveillance contracts as insinuated in the statement of the Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri.
He said Wis-South Security Ltd respects and holds in high esteem, traditional rulers in the country and wish to state unequivocally as a security outfit, they are not competing with any company operating in the petro-maritime industry and urged anyone in doubt of its mandate to visit Wis-South Security Ltd website, or contact NNPCL for further clarification.
The Director Operations informed that the training of cadets is supervised by the Nigerian Security And Civil Defence Corps( NSCDC), across the nine oil producing states
The Legal Consultant of Wis-South Security Ltd, Barr E.J Zikenah, said it is a frontline security outfit to NNPCL Ltd, that carries out covert operations by providing intelligent reports to NNPCL Ltd, in order to protect the entire oil and gas infrastructure, fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission with Board of Directors.
Barr Zikenah noted that the security component is an important aspect of the Petroleum Industry Act and part of Wis-South Security Ltd is to identify and arrest companies operating without proper license.
The renowned legal luminary informed that Wis-South Security Ltd has employed over twenty thousand 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 widened 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 which explains why the company is embarking on training of cadets across the states, deploy as his modus operandi to use the locals who are familiar in terrains to take charge.
He said the stories making the rounds to take over existing pipelines surveillance contracts are an attempt to divide and cause disaffection among the people of the Niger Delta and urged them to unite to fight against those sabotaging the development of the region.
On his part, the Director of Public Relations And Information, John Etekpe, informed that nobody or Company handling any form of contract should not assume the position to speak for NNPCL to discredit Wis-South Security. Saying that we have built a reputation as a frontline Security Company for the NNPCL, with an identified uniform and identity card with NNPCL Ltd Logo.
He hinted that Wis-South Security Ltd has trained and conducted passing out parade of cadets in Yenagoa, Rivers State and on Saturday, 7th September, 2024, over 3000 trainees were commissioned at Ughellli, with the Deputy Commandant of NSCDC Delta Command, DCP Dennis Ayanwu in attendance.
Our recruitment and training transcend ethnic boundaries and once commissioned as personnel and guards, draw monthly stipends from NNPCL. We have created job opportunities and empowered youths to make a living and hereby advise Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, to come on a fact-finding mission to our corporate headquarters in Yenagoa, to enable him to document our operations in proper perspective.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
