…Says Itsekiri Shortchanged In Employment, Contract Awards, Others
President Bola Tinubu has been called upon to urgently intervene in the alleged marginalisation of Itsekiri communities of the Niger Delta region by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and her Joint Venture partners despite their huge contribution to oil and gas production in the country.
The Itsekiri people are specifically accusing the NNPC Ltd and other international oil companies of deliberately marginalising Itsekiri Nation in the areas of employment opportunities, project and contract awards, corporate social responsibility and others.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Representative of the Olu of Warri Palace/Liaison to NNPCL, Mr. Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, told journalists that despite the huge contribution to oil and gas production in the country, Itsekiri have nothing to show for their God’s given wealth in their land.
Edema, while calling on President Tinubu to quickly intervene and revise the ugly development being the substantive Minister of Petroleum, he said the ever-peaceful Itsekiri people can no longer bear the underdevelopment of their communities.
He noted that the Itsekiri Nation has been grossly marginalised, neglected, traumatised, and punished by the NNPCL, its subsidiaries, and JV Partners especially NNPC E & P, NGMC, NGIC, Chevron, Shell, ConOil, Heritage Oil, ND Western, Elcrest, Seplat, etc operating in their homeland (mostly in the swamp and offshore).
According to him, “We call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to help prevail on the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) led by the Group Chief Executive Officer Malam Mele Kyari to give special considerations to the Itsekiri People in terms of employment (even beyond what is captured in the Nigerian Oil, and Gas Industry Content Dev. Act 2010) both in the NNPCL, its subsidiaries like the NUPRC, NAPIMS, NMDPRA, NGIC, NGMC, NNPC E & P, WRPC, etc, and JV partners operating in Itsekiri homeland like Chevron Nigeria Limited, SPDC, ND Western, Conoil, Seplat, Neconde, Heritage Oil, etc. This has become necessary because as at today, the Itsekiri graduates have the lowest employability rate compared to other ethnic groups in Nigeria despite being amongst the best.
“We call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to issue an executive order to NNPCL and JV partners concerning employment of indigenes of Host Communities by specifying a particular percentage (60%) be given by the “project promoter” to those whose areas the “project” is located.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to call the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited to order especially concerning the recent bogus service contract employment currently brewing unrest within their area of operations, and for recruitment concerning “project aurora” so as to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
“We call on the President and Commander in Chief who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to order the immediate relocation of the Operational Headquarters of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to Warri or Escravos. This will help to boost host community confidence in the operations of CNL and deepen peaceful existence between the company and her host communities.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to prevail on the NNPCL (through the NNPC Foundation)/JV Partners to give special consideration to Itsekiri Oil bearing Communities in terms of CSR projects especially in the provision of health care (to save our pregnant women), portable drinking water, and electricity.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to declare a ‘state of emergency’ in Itsekiri Oil Producing Communities like Ugborodo, Orere, Ogheye, Ekekporo whose land has been swept under the ocean due to recurrent sea surge (occasioned by climate change associated with crude oil exploration), and begin shoreline protection projects to forestall indigenes of these communities being swept into the sea especially as we approach another raining season.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to direct the NNPCL (especially through the NNPC Foundation) and JV Partners to build or renovate, and fully equip Primary and Secondary Schools in our Communities. This includes building a Staff quarters as well.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to direct the NNPCL to address the lopsideness associated with contract awards in projects being executed in Itsekiri homeland by the NNPCL, its subsidiaries, and JV partners as seen with the recent renewal of the pipeline surveillance contract where the Itsekiri Nation has been shortchanged. The NNPCL has continously disregarded the local content act as it relates to awarding contracts to Itsekiri owned businesses in our homeland.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources to direct the NNPCL to give Itsekiri owned businesses ‘special priority in the award and allocation of Oil Mining Licences in the next opportunity. This will believe will go a long way in making us have a sense of belonging in the Oil wealth God almighty has graciously deposited in our homeland.
“Finally, we believe that our God given wealth is not a curse but a blessing and as such refused to accept the current status quo where the Itsekiri Nation is being punished by the NNPCL for being peaceful and law abiding.”
