By Our Correspondent
THE Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) has vowed to resist all attempts by royal Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and other multinational oil companies to frustrate the Nigerian Local Content Law, imploring the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to call the oil companies to order.
The oil monitoring group, NDIMRC in a statement at the weekend by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Stanley Mukoro, claimed that SHELL was still undermining the Nigerian Local Content Law signed by President Goodluck Jonathan 22nd April, 2010 by dishing out injustice and unfair treatment to the people of the Niger Delta region.
The group said that “We have been drawing the attention of the whole world to the unholy activities of SHELL in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, but the situation remained the same as the company refused to repent.”
“Our indigenous contractors who obtained huge loans from various banks over the years to invest heavily on capacity building are not getting a better deal from the multinational oil companies and SHELL is a major culprit, hence we are urging the Honourable Minister of Petroleum to call the company to order so as to end the frustration of our local contractors in the hands of SHELL, ExxonMobil, Total, Chevron and Agip,” it stated.
According to the group, SHELL has been frustrating indigenous contractors by denying them contracts, saying that “We are not going to allow SHELL to get away with this. We want an end to this injustice now.”
NDIMRC also said that “Our local contractors have shown serious commitment to the development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region; we believe that we have qualified and experienced indigenous contractors in the region, but the management of SHELL in The Hague is not allowing the indigenous contractors to execute projects meant to change the fortunes of the poverty-stricken people of the region.”
Honourable Petroleum Minister, the group added, “We will not take kindly to a situation where our local contractors that are heavily indebted to banks are allowed to fold up as a result of the conspiracy by SHELL, EXXONMOBIL, TOTAL, CHEVRON and AGIP against them. We want the Honourable Minister to act fast and help our local contractors and by extension the people of the region.”
The group demanded an investigation into their claims against SAIPEM, “That is always picking the juicy contracts in the region at the detriment of our local contractors. We have accused SAIPEM severally of doing things to frustrate our indigenous contractors, especially whenever it failed to win the bid for projects in the region. We have also exposed SAIPEM to the whole world of always being awarded projects not approved by the Board of the Petroleum Ministry. A searchlight should be beamed on the crime being committed against our local contractors by SAIPEM and SHELL.”
These multinational oil companies, the group stated were doing everything to kill the dreams of local contractors and pleaded with the Petroleum Minister to prevail on the management of SHELL in The Hague to change its attitude to local contractors and give them a fair deal as enough is enough.
“And the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Ernest Nwapa must ensure that SHELL demonstrates strict compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act. We know that there is a gang-up against Engr. Nwapa in order for him not to succeed in his national assignment. But we want to urge him to put in the needed efforts so as to shame his conspirators,” the group said.
NDIMRC said that, “Engr. Nwapa should as a matter of urgency invite SHELL to offer some explanations over the Trans Niger Pipeline Loopline Projects (TNPL) expected to give a life line to the people of Niger Delta region and other Nigerians.”
Honourable Petroleum Minister, Engr. Nwapa should be made to invite SHELL over the pre-bid and pre-award of the TNPL as our local contractors to be awarded these projects have met all the requirements. But the management of SHELL in The Hague is thinking otherwise.
The group appealed to the Minister and NCDMB boss to join forces in ensuring that the indigenous contractors that have fully invested in the TNPL were allowed to execute the projects in order to bring succor to the people of Niger Delta region.
“The gang-up by the multinational oil companies to frustrate the Nigerian Local Content Law must come to an end. The cruel plans of the multinational oil companies against our people are coming from their home offices and even when their Managing Directors in Nigeria are telling their home offices on the need to respect the Nigerian Local Content Law, they do not listen to them and being frustrated as a result of the kick back by SAIPEM and others to their home offices,” it added.
According to the group, “These multinational oil companies cannot behave in this manner in their home countries and they must be made to respect the Nigerian Local Content Law if they must continue to operate freely in the country.”
