Group To Shut Down Agip Operations Over Lopsided Appointments

A group of land owners where the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has its operations has threatened to shut down the operations of the multinational oil company over alleged lopsided appointments by the firm to the detriment of host communities in Rivers State.
The group, under the aegis of Concerned Landlords of Swamp and Land Areas Operation of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, in a bid to obtain justice, petitioned the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, urging him to set up a high powered panel of enquiry into the said appointments and alleged marginalisation in all the communities where the company has its operations.
Director-General of the group, Onisoya Odum, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, last Friday, alleged that key positions in the company were given to non-indigenes, even when they didn’t have the requisite qualifications.
He also alleged that, “the millions of dollars being siphoned through huge operational contracts under this scheme might be used in sponsoring the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the Niger Delta states particularly, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states where the company predominantly has its operations”.
Describing the situation as “ethnic cleansing”, Odun claimed that about 23 indigenes of Rivers and Bayelsa extractions who occupied high positions in the company had either been sacked or relegated and replaced by people from outside the host communities.
He threatened that unless the sacked workers from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states were immediately reinstated, the group would be compelled to occupy all the operational bases of the oil and gas company.
According to him, “we will not fail to mobilise ourselves to shut down NAOC operations if our voice is not heard”.
Attempts to reach the Community Relations Manager, NAOC, Denis Maxi, were however, unsuccessful as he neither picked calls put across to his mobile number nor replied to text messages sent to him by our correspondents.

By: Kevin Nengia & Tonye Nria-Dappa