DELTA STATE GOVT MOVES TO AVERT SHUTDOWN OF OIL PRODUCTION IN OML 30

In a bid to avert an imminent shutdown of over 90,000 barrel per day oil production in Oil Mining Lease 30, the Delta State Government has waded into the faceoff between Heritage Oil Company and  over 100 oil bearing communities.

The Communities have issued a 7-day ultimatum to Heritage Oil Company and its subsidiaries to vacate their territories or face the wrath of the people.

Speaking through the President General of the Ewvreni Community, Chief Victor Ohare who is also the Chairman of President Generals Forum of OML 30 during a meeting with the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to brief the state Government on their grievances with the Oil Exploration Company, the communities accused Heritage of breaching all the terms contained in the GMOU signed between the them and the Oil Company.

The aggrieved communities also accused Heritage and its subsidiaries of using Security agencies to intimidate, harass and suppress their genuine agitations. They listed some of the short comings of the company to include none employment of indigenes and frequent disengagement of the few in the employ of the company as well as none payment of scholarship grants to indigenes of the affected area from 2014 till date.

The OML 30 communities further accused Heritage of a systemic ploy to phase out its scholarship scheme and vowed to resist the oppressive tendencies of the Company.
They condemned failure of Heritage to implement the terms of the GMOU which was painstakingly negotiated and personally supervised by the State Attorney-General. 

Heritage was also accused of awarding contracts, including that for pipeline surveillance and other maintenance services to foreigners and their cronies, thereby totally neglecting the principle of local content which was part of the GMOU entered into by the parties.

The communities said all attempts to invite the company to a round table to resolve the misunderstanding between them was rebuffed hence the ultimatum.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Mrakpor, while addressing representatives  of the aggrieved communitie,  thanked them for not resorting to violence in driving home their demands.

Mrakpor explained the process it took the state government to supervise the negotiation process which he said was transparent and painstaking, saying that the GMOU was the collective will of all the parties involved. The Attorney-General, who expressed dismay over the development, however, assured the parties that government would quickly intervene in the matter to forestall a breach of the peace in the area and disruption of oil production.

The Justice Commissioner appealed to them to remain peaceful and allow the state government to engage the company and bring all parties to a round table.
Oil Mining Lease 30, comprise of 112 communities from the Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko nations.