The crisis rocking the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30 seems to be getting out of hand as host communities in Delta state on Tuesday threatened to disrupt the 90,000 barrels per day production in the Ughelli Pump Station (UPS) located in Eruemukokwarien, Ughelli North council area of Delta state.
Hundreds of angry protesters from OML 30 host communities have taken over accesses into the premises of the Ughelli Pump Station, operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL).
The aggrieved protesters who converged at the entrance of the Ughelli Pump Station in Eruemukohwarien Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State as early as 7am, vowed to continue the protest until Heritage Energy attend to their demands.
The protesters, mostly aged woman and youths, carried placards with various inscriptions like, “Pay Our Yearly FTO Funds,” “Releases Our 2016 GMoU Now!!!,” “Host Communities Demand For Immediate Employment,” “We Demand For Urgent Staff Audit,” etc.
Among other things, the protesters demanded the immediate release of the agreed development funds for years 2016, 2018 and 2019 to the Community Development Board (CDB), begin the proper employment of graduates and other categories of labour hands from the 112 communities that are hosts to OML 30 facilities, payment of 2017 and 2018 community was salaries as well as the immediate relocation of the operational headquarters of the company to core operational areas of OML 30.
Addressing newsmen at the scene of the protest, the chairman of President-Generals’ Forum of OML 30 communities, Chief Emuobosa Ohare, said the communities had been agitating for their rights for the past five years, but lamented that the company had refused to answer them.
He added that the host communities had resolved that they would not end the protest until all issues are addressed.
He said operations of OML 30 would not be guaranteed unless Heritage Energy ensures it pays all outstanding 2014 to 2016 scholarship funds to beneficiaries, adding that the company must also commence employment of graduates and other categories of labour from the communities, as well implement staff audit without delay.
Ohare also said that Heritage Energy must reinstate all indigenous staff sacked without due process and stop forthwith indiscriminate sacking of their people working with HEOSL amongst others.
“Implement community participation in oil well drilling campaign in OML 30 and encourage community involvement in all operational activities in the fields. Until all these items are addressed we are not going to leave here. We want to speak with the management is Heritage company here and not Lagos people. As you can see, all the mothers are here and we are prepared to sleep here until they attend to us,” Ohare said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the OML 30 Community Development Board (CDB), Hon Morris Idiovwa, when contacted attributed the situation to the failure of the company to act timely.
He charged Heritage Energy and her JV partners to do more to take the doubts in the hearts of the people away, even as his board and the leaderships of the communities continue to engage the people for dialogue.
“It is indeed unfortunate that we have to come back to this sort of experience, where the companies will wait until the people of the communities get impatient with them and react in anger. We know how much efforts we have put into restraining the people from across the communities to be restrained, but the company has not really helped our case because what these people are looking out for is to see that all that is due to their communities and people are adequately remitted and promptly too.
“We will continue to talk to our people throughout the communities to continue allowing us to interface on their behalf and get properly beneficial results out for them. We will also charge Heritage and the J.V partners to ensure that they avoid difficult situations like this. They need to charge up those they have committed responsibilities to, especially community relations, to do more than they currently do”, he said.
When contacted the General Manager, Community Relations of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), Sylvester Okoh, said he was sure that the issue would be resolved promptly, noting that some of the issues raised had been addressed already.
“First, I will find it difficult to respond just like that because our corporate head is in Lagos and he’s the one that responds to this type of issues.
“About the scholarships, if you ask the beneficiaries, they’ve started receiving alerts since early last week, so currently they have been paid, nobody is owed. Industrial Attachment is on. About the GMoU fund, the only reason that was delayed was because of the impass between the Community Development Board and the Isoko that rejected the election.
“Payment for 2016 was strictly for NPDC, that of 2017 had been paid and the one for 2018 is being paid in the bank as we speak, hopefully before the end of today, that money will be in the account. There’s no deliberate effort to shortchange the people.
“In no time, the message will be carried to the protesters and the protest will be defused. It is in the interest of all of us. We are all from here; the scholarship will benefit our brothers and sisters, the development or GMoU fund will help develop the communities so it is a win-win”, he said.
