Delta: Uzere Community Tackles NPDC Over Alleged Breach Of Agreement

Source: thewillnigeria.com

…Gives 21-day Ultimatum
SAN FRANCISCO, September 11, (THEWILL) - The people of Uzere, an oil producing community in Isoko South Council Area of Delta State, are currently at loggerheads with authorities of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over alleged breach of terms of an Interim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they signed with the company.

The community is alleging that the NPDC management had breached the agreement they entered into with the community since November 19, 2013 by refusing to review upwards the IMoU payment accruable to the community.

Giving the company a 21-day ultimatum within which to address the matter, the community alleged that despite the increase from an assumed average daily production of 2,000 barrels per day from Uzere West Field to the current 14,000 barrels per day since the commencement of production in December, 2013, NPDC had not deemed it fit to review the initial agreement upward.

In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of NPDC and obtained by THEWILL, the community alleged that NPDC had remained undeterred to the plight of the people despite series of correspondence and meetings with its representatives.

The letter which was signed by the community's counsel, Barrister P.A. Oboreh, warned the NNPC's exploitation and exploration company to address the vexed issues without delay, saying “anything short of upholding the pact as spelt out in the IMoU is an invitation to distrust, strife and anarchy.”

While urging the oil firm to do the needful “to avoid dire consequences,” the community listed the areas where the company had failed in the IMoU to include alleged “delay/refusal of NPDC to connect power from the Uzere flow station to the community hospital and water scheme, a development which they said had denied the community access to potable water supply and electricity even when the project has been completed.

The community also alleged that NPDC had failed in other areas such as “Incomplete scoping and award of legacy projects which excluded the hospital road, x-ray machine and mortuary crates for the hospital; renovation of the hospital and staff quarters as well as water supply to/and gate for the Eni Primary School.”

All efforts to reach the Head of Corporate Affairs of NPDC, Mr. Ugo Atugbokoh, for comments over the vexed issues proved abortive when filing this report.