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Urges oil firms to obey Gov.Okowa’s
order to relocate operational hqtrs to the state
The Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt.
Hon. Friday Osanebi has called on Sterling Global Oil Company operating in
Ndokwa land to fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations to
the people by embarking on immediate construction of roads in Okpai, Umusadege,
Beneku and Asemoku communities to head off further crisis in the area.
Speaking at a meeting held in Asaba between the Oil Company
and Okpai community, he said doing so will enhance peace efforts and restore
confidence between oil companies and host communities.
Osanebi decried the attitude of the oil companies in
allowing the situation to degenerate to crisis level before responding to genuine
demands of the people, insisting that while the company must make profit, it
should not disregard its corporate social responsibility to host communities.
A statement signed by Mr. Oyibosochukwu Nwabueze, Press
Secretary to the Deputy Speaker urged the oil company to ensure that there is a
visible project every year in the host communities, noting that the company had
made tremendous success in the area with well over 40 productive oil wells in
Okpai alone.
Besides, Osanebi also chided Sterling Global Oil Company to
adhere strictly to the Nigerian Local Content law by ensuring that jobs for
which Nigerians and especially indigenes of host communities can handle were
not given to foreigners. “Rt. Hon. Osanebi drew the attention of oil companies
operating in the area to a recent directive by the State Governor, Senator
Ifeanyi Okowa that all oil companies operating in Delta state should relocate
their operational headquarters to the state, adding that the Governor has
graciously provided land for that purpose,” the statement stated.
Vice President of Sterling oil Company, Chief Arvind
Mahamuni promised to abide by the agreements reached at the meeting, assuring
the Deputy Speaker that the road projects will be commence immediately, while
renovation and the fencing of Okpai Mixed secondary School will be completed in
six months. According to the statement, the management of the Sterling oil
said: “We work in consultation with host communities for undertaking community
development projects as mutually agreed in MOUs”. It listed 200 school desks,
scholarships, science laboratory and sports equipment , five 18-seater buses,
speed boats, provision of medical doctors, drugs, renovation of health centres,
and 50kva generator as some of the facilities they have so far provided for
their host communities.
The company also said that in the drive to empower host
communities, it had employed over 600 indigenes of Ndokwa, 366 rig workers and
awarded contract to 234 contractors and 291 suppliers.
On why they embarked on the protest, Chairman of Okpai
community Development Committee (CDC), Chief John Emordi said the people had
waited for six months after an earlier meeting with the company before
embarking on the protest. On his part, the commanding officer of the Amphibious
Battalion, Warri, Lt. Col. Matthew Oyekola commended Okpai people for their
patience, pointing out however that he was unhappy with the youths for not
informing him earlier of any grievances before embarking on a violent protest. He
assured the people that his duty was protect lives and property, and had so far
not had any problem in Ndokwa land before the recent crisis.
The peace meeting which was called by the Deputy Speaker
also resolved among others that the three year MOU signed between Okpai and
sterling Oil Company be collapsed to enable the company execute the road
project in the community.
It was also resolved that the water surveillance contract
and supply of barge will be reviewed to reflect local content by involving
Okpai, Abalagada, and other communities along the river, while Okpai and other
host communities were admonished to refrain from disturbing contractors
handling jobs in the community and avoid making spurious monetary demands.
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