Communities threaten to shut down oil firm in Delta state

About twenty-eight oil host communities in OML34 in Delta State have issued a five-day ultimatum to ND-Western E&P Company and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC E&P Limited to shut down their operations in the area over alleged negligence, failure and refusal to fulfil their mandatory obligations to the aggrieved host communities.

This is contained in a letter signed by Michael Oghenegueke, Pastor Moses Bekaren, Rufus Onokurefe, Francis Uzoh, Nuwawa Alledy, Okorodudu Solomon and 22 others.

The letter which was dated 1st November was addressed to the Managing Director, NNPC E&P Limited and Chief Operating Officer of ND-Western.

The host communities demanded payment of outstanding penalty fines due to them for expired GMoU from 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2019.

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“Also, the payment of penalty fine of N6,250,000 representing 5% of the Project Fund for the belated payment of the 2nd tranche of 2022, recently paid in the fourth week of October 2022, after 3 months of grace from 1st January to 30th September 2022, as provided for in the relevant GMoU documents.”

“We are demanding payment of the accumulated scholarship arrears spanning through a period of four years, alternatively, the company should provide proof of awardees duly paid and records of those outstanding.”

“The company has not released forms for new awards of scholarship to any of the 28 host communities and has not also awarded any scholarship in OML34 for the past three consecutive years. Moreover, the company has not paid the OML34 project funds to Ughevwughe, Iwhrekreka and Otor-Edo communities for the past six years.”

The communities are also demanding the immediate commencement of the company’s skill acquisition programme for participants nominated by communities and the commencement of training of persons nominated for the GMoU Capacity building programme.