Women protesting at Kokori/ Orogun Oil field and Oil facilities at Erhioke-Kokori community.
Ovedhe Hezekiah – Warri
President Generals Forum of Host Communities under OML 30, and Cluster Management Committee on Wednesday September 2, 2020, shut down stations operated by Heritage Energy Oil Services Limited, HEOSL over its failure to honor the GMOU agreement with host communities.
It was gathered that the leadership of OML 30 host communities had signed a communique that would bring peace to the operation in the host communities with HESOL.
Addressing newsmen at Afiesere Flow Station in Ughelli, the chairman of flow stations President Generals in OML 30, Dr Patrick Oboghor said, the host communities decided to shut down all flow stations in OML 30 host communities because of the unprofessional, immature and several breach of the GMoU agreement and ill treatment being meted to them by Heritage Energy Oil Services Limited.
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According to Oboghor who is also the cluster 6 chairman, Oroni field, and Ibuje Joseph of Cluster 10, “dialogue with Heritage oils has been ongoing for the past one year and the out come has been, promises that are not fulfilled.”
“The last time we held a meeting with Heritage in Asaba, a communique was signed with government officials but as we speak, none of these agreements and GMOU have been reached by the oil company.
“Workers and contractors, GmoU for community development are not paid even Freedom To Operate, (FTOs) to enter the communities which is an annual ritual and scholarship are not paid, our people are not employed and we cannot continue like that while the oil is being tapped from us.”
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With the debt profile and failed obligations to host communities, Heritage is not fit and competent to operate OML 30, there was no COVID-19 and oil gloss in 2019, yet they refused to pay whatever is due to the communities after selling their oil at a high rate.
In making their demand before operations could resume in OML 30, Oboghor disclosed that, “The GMoU fund of 2019 and the second tranche of 2020, must be paid in and immediate implementation of staff audit, besides the local contractors issues.”
“The payment of all Freedom To Operate (FTOs) to all the various cluster with flow stations facilities, payment of all outstanding rental, leases and the full implementation of the communique entered into in Asaba in May 18, 2020.
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They however disclosed that, their actions to shut down flow stations in OML30 is not connected to OMS Covert Surveillance contract, saying “this our protest and shutdown has nothing do with OMS who is a contractor and they are doing well. They said.
In a related development, hundreds of women from Kokori, Ethiope East Local government area, of Delta State, shut down Kokori/ Orogun Oil field and Oil facilities at Erhioke-Kokori community to press home their demand over the agreed arrangement between the cluster 4 Oil bearing communities in OML 30 with Heritage Energy Operational Service Limited (HEOSL), on the payment of land lease.
Some of the women who spoke with this reporter said; “We are here today for a peaceful protest to shot down the Oil facilities to notify HEOSL that they should pay our dues of the agreed land lease they are owing us for good numbers of years now, because we cannot fold our hands watching the company to be drilling our Oil without paying us our entitlements”.
However, all efforts to reach Heritage Energy Oil Services Limited, communities representative for comments was not successful as at the time of filing this report as calls put across to his phone lines were not reachable.
