By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT—TOTAL Oil Company has lamented the spate of insecurity in its host communities around OML 58 in Rivers State.

Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt District of the oil firm, Mr. Nicolas Brunet, speaking yesterday at a one-day meeting with stakeholders of the communities in Port Harcourt, said the state of insecurity had created what he termed an “extraordinary situation” for the firm.

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Represented by Charles Anfray, Advisory, Community Affairs and Development, the Deputy Managing Director said that the essence of the interactive session held at the company’s premises was to encourage the sharing of information between the firm and the stakeholders.

He said: “The security situation is extraordinarily difficult. We are in the middle of cultists and political wars, where so many of our brothers have suffered. There are shootings almost every day.

“Our facilities are vandalised; well heads, pipes among others. The situation has caused so much pain and many people have relocated. We need to be able to support you in this difficult situation. We need to put heads together to see what can be done to restore peace in the area.”

The company enjoined the stakeholders to feel free to speak, stressing that the meeting was about how it can continue to help its host communities, adding that it was also about promoting dialogue between the firm and the communities.