By Our Correspondent
There was tension today in Ughelli South local government area as leaders of host communities in OMLs 30, 34 and 65, shutdown the Otorogun gas plant, protesting against the continued marginalization of host communities by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company NPDC.
The leadership of Host Communities of Nigeria producing oil and gas HOSTCOM had issued a seven day ultimatum to the management of NPDC, to resolve all outstanding issues with the host communities.
Chairman of Urhobo HOSTCOM, Comrade Efe Okowvurie, who led the protest said ” following the expiration of the seven day ultimatum given to NPDC to implement the resolution earlier reached with HOSTCOM, the host communities decided to shutdown the Otorogun gas plant”
Okowvurie said NPDC and HOSTCOM had an agreement on 30th June, 2015, in which NPDC agreed to pay all the outstanding salaries of community workers in OMLs 30, 34 and 65 which are in arrears of between 6-9 months, but till this very moment NPDC has refused to pay the workers and the contractor”
He said the federal government should compel NPDC to fully implement the resolution it signed with HOSTCOM on 30th June, adding the host communities are not ready to reopen the shutdown facilities until NPDC implement the resolution.
They protesters also warned NPDC not to reduce the 20% mark-up attached to contracts being handled by indigenous contrctors to 15%, adding that such will instigate crisis in the host communities and create more troubles for NPDC.
Meanwhile, it was learnt yesterday that the Delta state government has invited the management of NPDC and leaders of HOSTCOM for an urgent meeting at Asaba to resolve the dispute.
