Nkechi Uduma
Niger Deltan host communities have threatened to shut down facilities belonging to Nigerian Agip oil company as a result of breach of contract in their global memorandum of understanding.
One of the representatives of the Niger Delta Activists Forum, Success Jack, stated in a press briefing with newsmen that the Nigerian Agip oil company should do something as soon as possible to remedy the situation, adding that the host communities have genuine reasons for their agitation.
“We have held four different meetings inviting the Nigerian Agip oil company because of this problem and in these four meetings, they didn’t come for any, rather they truncated our efforts at achieving peace between them and their host communities.
” We even had to beg the host communities on their behalf for a grace of 14 days when we discovered they have simultaneously agreed to shut down the facilities of the Nigerian Agip oil company. In this grace period, we have tried to reach out to make peace but to no avail”
Meanwhile, some of the members of the host communities who were present at the press briefing expressed their displeasure at the oil company for not standing on its own agreement.
” They promised some of us employment opportunities which till date we haven’t heard anything from them. We can’t take this anymore because they have refused to renew their global memorandum of understanding, rather they give us flimsy excuses.
“Since all our legal actions against them have proved abortive, we are taking laws into our hands”
Some of the Niger Deltan host communities under the Nigerian Agip oil company include Southern Ijaw, Nembe, Ogbia local government in Bayelsa state, Ndokwa West, and Ndokwa East in Delta state, Idama and Bakana in Rivers state.
