Scores of Delta youths have staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of Seplat Energy Plc in Lagos State, demanding for the removal of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Roger Brown within one week over alleged racism and intimidation of the host community.
Apart from the sack of the company’s CEO, the protesters also demanded the sacking of the company’s board chairman, Basl Omiyi and his members for their alleged complicit role in bullying the company’s host community in Delta state.
The youths’ leader, Desmond Okpako who read the demands of group at the company’s headquarters in Lagos, threatened failure by the company to comply with their demands would led to stoppage of Seplat’s operations in their land.
The youths were armed with placards with different inscriptions such as ‘Roger Brown stop intimidation of Nigerians,’ ‘Well done minister of interior for coming to our rescue,’ ‘Respect our community leaders,’ ‘Roger Brown must go no room for racism,’ ‘Seplat Board of Roger stop all the lies obey court order,’ and ‘Stop bullying of community Staff among others.
In the statement made available journalists Okpako said: “the Delta Youths for Justice and youths of Seplat host community have been forced to make this release to the general public due to non-compliance to the Court’s order. Seplat must sack Roger Brown, Basl Omiyi and his board members for promoting racism, discrimination, bullying and intimidation of staff, especially, Community Staff.
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“Our attention has been drawn to the good decision of the minister of interior to cancel Roger Brown’s work permit. Instead of obeying this nobel decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Omiyi and his board of directors announced a vote of confidence for a racist foreigner who is a mere employee. Omiyi and his board should be ashamed of themselves for telling Roger Brown to continue working without work permit. They should obey a valid court order.
They, therefore, demanded Seplat must sack Roger Brown immediately and also sack Omiyi and the board for alleged support for racist.
However, the company have all allegations levelled against it through a statement signed by board chairman, Omiyi.
Seplat Energy noted that since Brown became CEO in 2020, Nigerian nationals have been appointed to the company’s most important positions, including Chairman, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating officer.
The company’s statement partly read: “The Board believes these allegations are a spurious and vindictive reaction to the Board’s enforcement of corporate governance standards and a determination to continue to uphold their fiduciary duties and loyalty to the Company. The Board of Seplat Energy has unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Mr Brown as the CEO”.
The company affirmed that it would continue to maintain its operational excellence and act in line with the best corporate governance standards.
