Oil Producing Community Issues 14-Day Ultimatum To NPDC
The new operators of Oil Mining Lease, OML, 30, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have been issued a 14-day ultimatum by its host community to provide a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU.
Vanguard reports that, the community promised to sabotage the operation of the oil field’s new operator, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, if it fails to meet up with their demands within the next 14 days.
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This was conveyed in a SOS message to the company by representatives of the 12 host communities under the aegis of the Oil and Gas Producing Communities in Orogun, signed by the chairmen, Michael Idiovwa and Power Oghre.
“It is sad enough that Shell Petroleum Development Company, divested from OML 30 without honouring the communities’ agitation for recognition in the exercise, payment of rent arrears and leases and remediation of their environment, among other grievances,” they said.
Responding to the threat, a senior public affairs official of NPDC who craved anonymity said: “The draft negotiated GMoU with the communities is ready. It is a process involving the state government’s accent and hopefully it will cement the relationship between both parties. Nobody is undermining the host communities on operations at OML 30.”
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However, it appears that most of the oil companies operating in the Delta region are always reluctant to go into agreement with their host communities, even as most them who manage to usually end up treating such agreement with disdain.
It would be recalled that on July 23, 2014, Nembe community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State also issued a 30-day ultimatum to Nigeria’s oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to shut down its operations over failure to stick to the General Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) reached since last year.
Source: Legit.ng
