Agip: Host Communities Protest Non-Payment of Surveillance Security Workers ~ Truth Reporters

..To stop protection of oil facilities

By Kelvin Ohoror

Nine host communities of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited  in three  local government areas of Delta State are to withdraw their workers from  protecting the facilities of the  company following the refusal of NAOC to pay the workers for the past six months.

The communities are: Irri, Idheze, and Orie(Isoko South Local Government Area); Okpe-Isoko and Ofagbe(Isoko North Local Government Area) and Ibrede, Abalagada, Asemuku; and Beneku(Ndokwa East Local Government Area.

Speaking to journalists during a peaceful protest at the NAOC Flow Station in Irri, Chairman of the Joint Committee on NAOC Surveillance Contract, Honourable Marcus Idike, said the decision to withdraw the  security workers could only be reversed if the company agrees to pay the six months’ salaries and comply with all items on the new surveillance contract disclosed  to the communities on December 22, 2020.

According to him, the problem that degenerated into the protest started in April when the communities demanded, through a letter dated April 5, 2021, the payment of the then three months’   salary arrears (January to March, 2021) of the workers  that NAOC, on December 22, 2020 mandated them to employ.

 “On December 22, 2020 NAOC invited the host communities to a meeting where we were told about modalities for the new surveillance contract effective January 1, 2021 to protect the pipelines and other facilities of the company. We were then mandated to employ workers to begin working from January 2021.

He also reiterates that "All the communities did as directed by NOAC and were expecting payment from the company. But to our greatest surprise, NOAC sent a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)  through a contractor(Pajah Agency), stating that the payment of workers already engaged would commence from the date the MoU was signed contrary to  the January 1, 2021 as we were told on December 22, 2020, he said.

Idike explained that following the new clause in the MoU, the communities wrote another letter of complaint  dated May 25, 2021, giving the company 14 days ultimatum to address the issue or they would withdraw  the workers.

“In response to the letter, NOAC invited us  to another meeting. At that  meeting, officials   of NAOC agreed that  the communities were mandated to engage workers to protect their facilities from January 1, 2021. Yet the company insisted that payment would commence from the  date the MoU was signed. The meeting ended in a deadlock. After the expiration of the ultimatum, the communities wrote another letter in June giving NAOC five days’ ultimatum which expired more than a week ago and the company failed to accede to our request.  

"The fraudulent and arrogant manner way NAOC is handling this matter to deny us our legitimate rights having  worked for six months  couple with attempt  by  the company to blackmail the leaders and incite the people of the communities, we are left with no other option than to tell the whole world that the workers would be withdrawn as from July 1, 2021,” he stated.

He stressed that until the salaries are fully paid, "We are using this medium to inform NAOC, Federal/State governments and all security agencies  that as from June 30th,  the communities cease to protect NAOC facilities as mandated on December 22, which  the host communities complied with since January 1, 2021 but the company refused to pay for.

Idike added that until the payment is made, none of the concerned host communities would sign an agreement to allow any service company to carry out any form of services in any NAOC location in Irri, Idheze, Abalagda, Asemuku and Beneku respectively.

He however warned that, "And after three weeks, we are coming to shut down NAOC if they failed to pay the arrears," he said.