Expert Tasks Oil Firms On MoUs Implementation

The brewing conflicts between oil companies and their host communities in the Niger Delta over the breach of agreements signed by the corporate partners have generated concern among stakeholders.
Worried over the increasing spate of disagreement between oil firms and their host communities, an expert in the oil and gas sector, Dr Eddie Wikina, called on all multinationals and corporate organizations operating in the Niger Delta to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) signed with their host communities.
Wikina, who spoke with The Tide in an exclusive interview recently said the flouting of MOUs and the absence of sustainable  community development policies among various oil firms and corporate organisations were the root cause of underdevelopment and conflict in the Niger Delta.
He pointed out: “modern industry practices require that both the oil firms and the host communities operate in mutual agreement and synergy through a well community engagement model that would be subject to upward reviews to suit evolving developments to avert crisis.”
He noted that oil related conflicts have been a predominant feature of the Niger Delta over the years and urged prospecting oil firms and other corporate organisations in the Niger Delta to learn from the experiences of the past to improve their host community relations by contributing meaningfully to the  development of their host communities.
The expert in Petroleum Engineering, said  host communities were major stakeholders in the oil and gas business noting that their active participation in the sector was a boost to smooth business operation.
“It’s certain that that business activities can’t strive in an environment where there is mutual disagreement and incessant conflicts, global standards in oil and gas business require that host communities be given their due sense of belonging to promote peace and development, the business concern must be accommodative of the development interest of the host communities, any company that gloss over the interest of its host communities is bound to face challenges,” he said.

By: Taneh Beemene