Community threatens NPDC operation over insensibility

The Tsekelewu community in Egbema Kingdom, Warri North local government area of Delta state, has warned the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC)/Elcrest against carrying out any drilling operations in the community in the interest of peace, appealing to Federal and Delta state governments to prevail on joint operating company to do the needful to avert the looming crisis.

The warning was contained in a press statement signed by the President, Secretary General and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Marvis Ofiyai, Asoki Victor and Ebidinana Afari, respectively of Tsekelewu Community Welfare Association and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Warri. The statement decried the insensitivity of the oil company to the plight of the community adding that the people would henceforth get 40 per cent of all the contract arising from drilling operations in the community, otherwise no drilling would take place.

“We are informed that there is a drilling rig project about to commence in the community. This project if not properly handled can cause serious breach of peace in Opuama Field, NPDC/Elcrest should beware, ” the statement asserted. The NPDC/Elcrest currently operates the Opuama Field in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 40 formerly owned and operated by Shell Petroleum and Development Company (SPDC). “The president said Opuama Field was hosted by Opuama and Tsekelewu communities on equal basis. Since the operation of NPDC/Elcrest the host communities’ indigenes are not employed.

“For instance, when contracts are to be awarded for jobs by NPDC/Elcrest, no bidding is made for the contracts. “Even when contracts are awarded, they are awarded to one person or a clique that has been monopolizing contracts. The bidding is not made open to community executive except the clique. “We are also aware that a drilling operation shall commence soon based on a purported Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) dated February 2015. “This drilling shall not commence if the Tsekelewu people does not get 40 per cent of the contracts arising from the drilling operations,” the statement said.

It also urged the NPDC to provide the final report of the EIA on the dredging campaign and pipelines replacement going on in the Opuama Field Area adding that the project was taking it’s toll on the people. While calling for an established MoU between the NPDC and the Tsekelewu people to facilitate development in the community, the statement accused NPDC of hobnobbing with her selected community to the detriment of Tsekelewu community. The observed that oil companies were expected to operate in line with best global practice by relating with her host communities through the communities accredited representatives. “We demand the duly elected and accredited representatives of Tsekelewu community to be notified and carried along through the bidding process to the award and the execution of contracts.

“The draft EIA for the proposed Seven appraisal wells within the Opuama Field in OML40 should be upturned and the entire process cancelled until NPDC does the proper thing.” The community leaders, however, appeal to the Federal and Delta governments, International Communities to prevail on NPDC/Elcrest to do the needful to avert the looming crisis. When contacted on phone a top official of the External Relations Department, NPDC Benin City, who pleaded not to be mentiond, said, “There in no operation going on there now. But we have been meeting with them. They have not showed us any document If they have any issue they should send it and we will attend to it.”