By Emma Arubi
Oil-rich Aja-Omaetan Community in Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, Dibi Field Facility in Warri North LGA of Delta State has petitioned the oil major over alleged non-recognition over the Host Communities Development Trust created by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 in spite of a subsisting court order.
In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of CNL dated 8th August, 2022 and signed by the Chairman of the Trust, Mr. Anthony Jemide and the Acting Secretary, Mr. Collins Ametilebo and copied to the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III respectively, with copies of Court Judgment attached, Aja-Omaetan stated that “Despite the judgment CNL has refused and deliberately declined to recognize and accord our community the rights and privileges as ordered by the Court”.
The Community stated that with the court judgment, the Delta State Government, DESOPADEC and other organizations have come to recognize them as an Oil producing community and according them all their rights, entitlements and privileges and wondered why Chevron have declined and or refuse to recognize them as such and continued to deprive them of their rights and dues.
But Chevron Communication Manager has declined to respond to the allegation when contacted for comments on the above matter as at the time of filing this report.
Notwithstanding, Aja-Omaetan stated in their letter that “further deprivation of their community from enjoying all rights and privileges as an Oil producing host community shall be met with stiff resistance, noting that “this act of impunity must stop forthwith”, they warned.
