By Egufe Yafugborhi

LANDLORDS to swamp and land areas operations of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) have called for Governor Nyesom Wike’s intervention over perceived discrimination against host communities in appointments at the oil firm.

The host stakeholders led by Onisoya Odum at a briefing on the development in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Friday alleged that they were being alienated from appointments into key positions in NAOC, saying the situation amounted to ethnic cleansing.

Odum lamented that some 23 indigenes of Rivers and Bayelsa states in high positions in the company were either sacked, relegated and replaced by people outside the host communities who call the shots in management of the company to the detriment of the host stakeholders.

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He said except the trend stops and the indigenous people particularly from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States are immediately reinstated, they would occupy all operational bases of the oil and gas company across the operating environment.

He declared, “We will not fail to mobilize ourselves to shut down NAOC operations if our voice is not heard. The Nigerian government should realize it is facing another turn of recession and the situation would be worse if any of the oil companies stops remitting royalty to the government when its operation is halted.

Community Relations Manager of NAOC), Dennis Maxi, ignored calls and text enquiries to give the company’s perspective on the matter at the time of filing this report.

Vanguard News Nigeria