14 host communities in Delta State have pleaded with the federal government to revoke the licenses of the two companies operating the OML 42, over perceived refusal to implement the Petroleum Industry Act, (PIA) and other issues as it relates to the local content law.
The companies work with the Nigeria Exploration Petroleum Limited, NEPL, and NECONDE Energy Limited.
The aggrieved Delta host communities made the demand in an open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The letter dated December 18, 2023 and signed by the Chairman, Mr Windfree Atemubaghan, Public Relations Officer, PRO, Oyimi Samson, Secretary-General, Mr. Francis Ayeku and Treasurer, Amb Billy Ekele, for OML/Kantu 42 communities forum averred inter-alia:
They also appealed to state and federal governments to quickly come to their aid to save the souls of the oil producing host communities of OML 42.
“We wish to further state that despite the huge production to the national treasury of Nigeria, the JV operators of OML 42, since the divestment of this asset to the JV partners (formerly NPDC) and now NEPL/ Neconde Energy Limited, has failed the host communities woefully in the following areas of oil and gas operation in the Niger Delta region, as it affect the OMI 42 host communities.
“The operators as Nigerian companies by law, is expected to uphold the enforcement and implementation of the laws of local content act, but the operators are not in any form encouraging indigenous vendors to build capacity, rather secretly giving out contracts meant for community vendors to their friends and associates outside the host communities.
“It is the constitutional responsibility of operators of oil and gas companies in anywhere in the world to meet up to the social cooperate responsibilities to their host communities. But these operators, have failed in the aforementioned responsibilities by not developing the human capital and infrastructural needs of our host communities.
“The operators of the OML 42 NEPL AND NECONDE Energy ltd JV) are using barging to load crude oil in some of the six flow stations in OML 42 and supply to mother vessels in the Atlantic Ocean, thereby causing environmental pollution on the soul of the host communities, this has further damaged the entire eco system of the marine economy, making it difficult for the inhabitants to live with their God-given natural occupation.
“The PIA provides for development of host communities in human and capital infrastructures, due to the oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities, which damage the environment where oil and gas is being exploited.”
