BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

WARRI—THE people of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have given the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, one week to open negotiations with the community for a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on the company’s operations in the area or face eviction.

Addressing newsmen in Warri, yesterday, the Polobuba (Tsekelewu) National Council, PNC, said the community was compelled to tow a path of confrontation with NPDC as its management had refused to give listening ears to the host community.

National President of PNC, Ebilate Mac-Yoroki, who led other community leaders, said three years after Shell Petroleum Development Company sold its stake with over 15 oil wells and other facilities hosted by the community, NPDC, which took over the operations came in and has been operating without consulting the people.

He said: “As bad as Shell was, they signed a lease agreement with us and there was a policy for staff employment and contracts defining stakes to the host community. Best practices dictate that NPDC signs a new lease agreement and negotiates fresh Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMOU, before taking over. Chevron operates here too with a GMOU.

“NPDC is evasive. They have a draft GMOU with a clause that the document will not be effective until it was negotiated and signed by parties. Instead of calling for negotiation, the company preferred operating through the back door, to the extent of exploiting the crude as we speak. They have commenced dredging of our river and land without an Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA.

“We have been slighted enough. We are, therefore, giving them till next week Monday to open negotiations. We want a GMOU that guarantees community development, employment, contracts and 10 percent equity stakes for our people.”