Ondo Communities Give Chevron 72-hr Ultimatum Over Benefits

The Amalgamation of Ilaje Ugbo Coastal Communities Association(AMAICOMMA) in Ondo State, has given 72 hours ultimatum to Chevron Nigeria Limited to heed their demands and effect their due benefits.

The association yesterday disclosed that failure of Chevron to heed their demands may ignite another crisis that is capable of impacting oil production activities in the Ilaje Offshore territory of the state.

A statement issued by the AMAICOMMA Communities of Ugbo land, the mandate area of Chevron Nigeria Ltd Offshore Operations in the State, noted that the communities from time immemorial have been continually short-changed by Chevron Nigeria.

The statement was signed by the association chairman, Barr Wole Ogungbeje, and the secretary, Engr. Kehinde Omoyele, field officer, Abayomi Ezekiel, among others, hinted that other ethnic groups are usually favoured in terms of allocations of opportunities and benefits such as equipment supply, call-off contracts, registration of Ilaje AMAICOMMA contractors, and other opportunities.

According to the association, “the most recent is the fraud against the collective interest of AMAICOMMA Communities of Ilaje Offshore Operations by Chevron Nigeria Ltd about the  Shallow Water drilling (Project Panther) that is about to commence now. ”

“We unequivocally demand the reversal of the erroneously and purportedly sent jobs opportunity mail to the yet unregistered Ugbo Trust by PGPA, and channel the same jobs opportunities to AMAICOMMA which should include all benefits, opportunities, entitlements, and privileges accruable to AMAICOMMA communities from the upcoming drilling operations.”

The statement further disclosed that “all the equipment for the Panther drilling Project have been hijacked by Chevron top managerial staff in favour of different contractors where they have an interest as no single one was given to any Ilaje contractors even though some of our local contractors participated in the equipment supply bidding process for the panther drilling project.

‘’Outside the bidding, the usual practice is that the local contractors from Ilaje are supposed to be nominated for the supply of equipment. All this process has been compromised by Chevron PGPA for personal use.

“We therefore challenge Chevron Nigeria Limited to disclose the total numbers and identities of the Call Off Contractors shortlisted for this Drilling Operations.’’