PIA: Concentrate on the Deployment of the 3%Development Fund for the Host Communities, Stakeholders Task Board Members

By; Emma Arubi, Warri

The functions of Board members of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, Host Communities Development Trustees Fund (HCDTF) must be separated from labour, employment and contracts negotiations and left for the various community’s executives and elders Councils to handle with the different companies operating in their mandate areas.

This is one of the resolutions reached by OML150 HOST/IMPACTED COMMUNITIES STAKEHOLDERS meeting held at the GT Event Centre, in Warri, Monday and attended by the various community representatives, amongst other resolutions.

“Communities trust/management executives, including youth executives, shall negotiate directly without middlemen”.

Speaking specifically on the functions of the HCDTF, led by Dr. Monday Agbeyi, a stakeholder/ convener of the meeting, Mr. Fidelix Orugbo explained that the basic function of the board is to manage and deplore the 3% from the PIA fund to develop the oil bearing communities.

He explained further that with the emergence of the PIA as enacted all former community based negotiating organization like GMoU, IRDC and so on have become moribund and stands dissolved forthwith, saying that OML 150 Consultative Forum has therefore died a natural death and all labour, employment and empowerment negotiations should now be conducted by each community executive.

The resolution further stated that it’s not true that Aja-Osolo community is trying to corner all the benefits accruing from Conoil Company, operators of OML 150 facility, instead what they are saying is that each community should now be allowed to go for their individual negotiation.

According to them, ” PIA members should concentrate on the 3% allocation job function and leave the community executives to function by negotiating their various community benefits with the various oil companies operating in their areas”, they explained.

Reacting to the stance of the Host /Impacted communities’ Stakeholders meeting resolution, Dr. Monday Agbeyi said his tenure as Chairman of OML 150 Consultative Forum as approved by His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse 111, CFR, the Olu of Warri Kingdom has not expired.

Dr. Agbeyi said, “all things being equal am ready and will willing hand over power to my Vice and will do so at the appropriate time. But the challenge of these people is that they are greedy and afraid of us that went to school. But they don’t have the cerebral capacity/ financial muscle to negotiate with these oil companies personnel who are comfortable negotiating with persons of lesser focal and experience to deal with them. The companies use these community persons to cause divide and rule in our Communities, so encourage them to keep fomenting unnecessary trouble. Anyway, let me tell you that 70% of those that attended the meeting where deceived and told there is a Tantita Security job largesse to be shared and that is why they attended only for them to witness the shenanigans that took place. Some of the promoters of the kangaroo meeting depends only on community affairs for their survival as they have no other means of livelihood. And this is the challenge”, he revealed.

Again, the so-called gathering does not have the locus to dissolve the well recognized Forum.

The OML150 Host/Impacted communities Stakeholders however stated clearly that are not against Dr. Agbeyi Chairmanship of the PIA Board. Part of their resolutions also announced that Otumara and Ugboritseduwa communities are henceforth recognized as impacted communities and admitted to the Conoil Producing Limited operations in OML150 and that the company, the palace and the state government will be duly informed of this new development for proper recognition officially.

“Conoil shall recognize and negotiate with the Major Host community leaders/executives and all other communities similarly henceforth”. It shall negotiate contracts, labour employment and empowerment directly with community leaders/executive.

“OML-150 HOST/IMPACTED COMMUNITIES STAKEHOLDERS shall moderate all community affairs related to stakeholders”, they maintained.The OML-150 Communities Consultative Forum is dissolved, effective immediately”, they emphasized

Among the communities and prominent persons present at the meeting were :Chief Billy Begiwa, Johnson Onire, Pa Samson Agitan of Aja-Osolo;Frank Uwatse Fidelis Ete Lori, Julius Eromona of Uwakeno community; Madam Dora Gbenebitse for Otumara community and Edema Sillo Oritsegbemi for Jaluwa Community, Oduomayemi Success for Ugboritseduwa community. Others are Darling Semuge for Ewekuara community,
Otomewo Omereyemi for Obodo and George Benson for Eworitsemogha community respectively.