Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The host communities of Oil Mining Lease 34 (OML 34) in Delta State have promised to shutdown operations within the area over an alleged ill-treatment by the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Exploration and Production (NNPC E&P) Limited and ND Western Limited Joint Venture (JV).
This information was contained in a statement signed by elected leaders of the host communities and made available to journalists on Monday.
“We wish to place on record that for the past one year, the 28 Host Communities of OML 34 have been engaged in a running battle with the management of NNPC E&P Limited and ND Western Limited JV over issues that borders on their CSR and failed promises to the OML 34 Host Communities,” the statement read in part..
“Our demands are non-payment of four years scholarship arrears spanning through 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively. Non-payment of penalty fines from the expired Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) spanning through a period of 2016-2019. Non-payment of Peace Award of 2022. Non-payment of Courtesy Call of 2023,” it further read.
Other allegations made by the communities include the expression of total displeasure on issues that concern Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which they claimed the operators had failed to fulfill to the OML 34 host communities.