Niger Delta Communities Demand Settlement Before Oil Companies Exit Nigeria
A group representing people in the Niger Delta (Niger Delta Activists Forum) is asking oil companies thinking of leaving Nigeria to settle their debts with the local communities first.
These debts include money owed and cleaning up any spills or unfinished projects.
The group wants the companies to take care of these issues before leaving, so there are no problems and the communities are happy.
The group expressed displeasure that the multinationals remained oppressive, defiant, adamant and elusive over their appeals.
They feared that the oil majors would not translate or factor in their outstanding liabilities arising from their unpaid claims and damages to the new operators, which is why they have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, security agencies and other stakeholders about their various appeals.
They said that the attitude of the multinationals was a recipe for anarchy, unrest and chaos because host communities have decided not to allow the new owners/operators of these oil and gas assets within their ancestral lands.
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“We believe that for a proper divestment to happen, transparency and stakeholders inclusion is necessary, without which operational peace for the new owners within these oil host communities domain cannot be guaranteed,” they said.
They have insisted that host communities are supposed to be the chief stakeholders in the divestment whose views, opinions and positions should be factored in because they hold the true inventory of not only the assets but liabilities of the divesting companies, especially pertaining to claims, damages, pre and post Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) infractions and others.
They further warned that if these actions by the companies are allowed to snowball into full blown anarchy, then crude oil production will be affected, stalling national budget and planning although it is not their desire.
The group has therefore called on them to discuss with host communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with a view to resolving all thorny issues before take-off of their successor firms.
The statement was signed by four leaders, including the convener, Comrade Success Jack; national women leader, Sheila Tamuno; and two other leaders from Bayelsa and Edo States, and addressed to the chief executive officer of Upstream Regulatory Commission
