*Threaten to withdraw workers from flow stations
By Ochuko Akuopha

OLEH—HOST communities to Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, in Oil Mining Lease, OML 30, Delta State, have issued a 30-day ultimatum to the company to meet their demands or risk the withdrawal of their workers from the company’s flow stations in their domains.

Leadership of the communities, under the aegis of Forum of Communities’ Executives of Flow Stations in OML 30, in a letter addressed to NPDC’s Managing Director, said the company had reneged on its promise to execute legacy projects in all communities where its operations cover “even before the signing of the GMOU.”

The letter by the forum’s Chairman, Dr. David Edegware, listed other grievances of the communities to include the non-renewal of expired servicing contracts, reversal of contractors mark up from 15 per cent to 20 per cent, unnecessary delay of contractors’ invoices for payments and loss of invoices by various departments of the company, non-payment of outstanding scholarship to beneficiaries and irregular payments to field workers.

Decrying what it described as the continuous deceptive attitude of the company towards oil bearing communities, the letter said: “Sequel to these painful catalogues of disservice to the host communities which was duly followed by formal demand correspondence but were ignored and remained unattended to even up till this moment.

“It was one of the reasons why we withdrew our workers sometime in October, 2015 and disrupted production to seek due attention. However, the intervention of the Commanding Officer of 222 Battalion,Nigerian Army, who signed surety on behalf of NPDC to address the various issues raised within a fortnight, was done in bad faith as such promises were never met.

“We are here again going back to the drawing board with another warning to meet these promises. For all intent and purposes, NPDC is not here to salvage oil production as it has not lived up to expectations of the host communities going by their performance so far.”