…as it gives seven days ultimatum

A civil society organisation, Niger Delta Liberation Movement, has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Chevron, Heritage Oil, Selplat and Conoil to put an end to marginalisation of Itsekiri people in their organisations.

The group also gave these organisations a seven days ultimatum to address what it described as neglect of host communities in the Niger Delta, saying the organisations’ mode of employment was skewed against the Iwere.

A statement signed by Secretary to the group, Mr Emmanuel Tagbanaraewumi, lamented that for over 60 years of exploring oil in Warri Kingdom, NNPCL and its JV partners had oppressed them, stressing that they had refused to provide their coastal communities with basic amenities.

The statement reads: “The Niger Delta Liberation Movement, also known as MOVEMENT, has issued a seven days ultimatum to the NNPCL, including all its  partners such as Chevron, Heritage Oil, Selplat, Conoil among others in Warri to, as a matter of urgency, address issues of nonchalance, marginalisation and neglect of its host communities in the Niger Delta, particularly Warri.

“In solidarity with the agitation of the Fitters Senior Staff Association of Nigeria that protested the non-employment of indigenous community skill workers in Dibi, Olero, Abiteye, Escravos units, this has become necessary. Recently, the graduate association of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje agitated against being sidelined in employment by Chevron whose management engaged in an illegal employment scheme, refusal of Chevron to convert VTP5/OTP2 and VTP6 with other community workers to permanent staff. It should be noted that the Itsekiri nation has been brutally oppressed by the NNPCL and its JV partners operating in Itsekiri homeland in over 60 years of oil exploration.

“Chevron, Ponticelli Nigeria Ltd, employed over 800 fitters and welders from outside Delta State. The same goes for Gvogas Nigeria Ltd, Fairtex Ltd. The Offshore Construction Company also recently recruited. This is the same for Heritage Oil, Conoil, SEPLAT, ND Western.

“Some of the abnormalities that should be addressed include the provision of potable water, provision of health care, provision of electricity to local host communities, provision of means of transportation within the riverine communities in Warri, employment of graduates across all fields, protection of local community shorelines and flood prevention projects and relocation of Chevron H/Q from Lekki to Warri, not excluding that of other IOCs operating in Warri.

“There will be consequences such as disruption in daily operations and total shutdown of NNPCL and its operational partners (Chevron, SPDC, Heritage Oil, SHELL, Con Oil, etc) facilities in Warri. The safety of lives in those facilities and properties belonging to those multinationals won’t be guaranteed if this trend continues.”