By Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri
Members of OML 147 Cluster 1 Communities, comprising Ekuku-Agbor, Agbor-Alidinma, Obi-Aynima in Ika South Local Government Area and Ndemili in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State have staged a peaceful protest over alleged neglect and delays in the implementation of signed MoUs by Pan Ocean, a major oil firm operating in the fields.
Elders, Chiefs, Women and Youths of the host communities, trooped out in their numbers protesting, which led to the blockade of the entrance of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Company at Owa-Alidinma Community in Ika Northeast Local Government Area of Delta State.
Addressing journalists, the spokesman of the host communities, Mr John Iewzu, said that their reason for the peaceful demonstration was that Pan Ocean had been neglecting and intimidating them by not fulfilling the promises made to the communities since October 2019 to date.
He noted that there was a meeting the host communities held with Pan Ocean which took place on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 and it was agreed on the implementation of the full payment of all arrears and interest accrued to them between October 2019 to October 2020.
He pointed out that other issues discussed at that meeting included the payment of new salary scale for the communities’ workers, commencement date for the implementation of scholarship scheme and graduate trainee, viz-a-viz modalities for selection, communities work force in all the department of OML 147 and other important issues.
He also emphasised that an agreement was reached at that meeting with Pan Ocean to fully pay all the arrears and interests as mentioned, but lamented that since that time till date, no single effort was made by thevoil firm to implement any of them, not even increasing the salaries of the communities’ workers in the company.
While noting that the host communities had on several occasions written letters to the management of the Pan Ocean, the Delta State Ministry of Oil and Gas, Delta State Government and other relevant authorities, on their gricvsnces ans demands, he stated that nothing had been done by Pan Ocean to fulfill her promises to them.
Reacting, the General Manager, Pan Ocean Oil Corporation, Mr Collins Atikube, appealed to the protesters to bear with the company, saying that its inability to implement and fulfill their already signed MoU was due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He, however, assured them that the company would fulfill all the outstanding promises by June this year.