Gbaramatu Kingdom, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, has threatened to shut down operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, if the company fails to address the marginalization of the community in seven days.
A statement by the community’s Chairman, Victor Eseimieghan on Wednesday, accused Chevron of marginalising the community in the areas of contracts, employment and corporate social responsibility, CSR.
The kingdom which is the ancestral home of former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo also accused the oil company of “flagrantly violating the local content requirements in the area of contracts in their dealings with Benikrukru community over the years.”
The statement reads, “In the light of the foregoing, the Chevron Nigeria limited and government is hereby given a seven- day ultimatum to address these grievances or the Benikrukru community would have no other option than to shut down the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited in the Abiteye field.
“Contracts due to the communities in line with the local content law are given to contractors fronting for insiders within Chevron at the expense of the community. For now contracts such as water injection plant treatment; well- head servicing; well head repairs; leak repairs; fumigation and other associated contracts, which ought to be done by community contractors are been done by two companies, Inhouse Group and Pelfaco Nigeria Limited.
“These companies are not owned by Benikrukru indigenous contractors, but by people from outside community, who are fronting for insiders in Chevron Nigeria Limited.
“Also in the area of employment, Chevron has also stopped the yearly aptitude test through which they used to employ a few qualified persons from the community for the past 10 years. They employ now without the knowledge and interest of the Benikrukru community.
“Even the few persons that were employed from the community in recent times are all casual workers. Chevron has also completely abandoned its corporate social responsibility to the community by the failure to carry out any developmental project in the Benikrukru community for several years. Chevron has bluntly refused to have any dealing with the leadership of the community with a view to resolve these issues.”
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