The House of Representatives has issued the Managing Directors of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC,) Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other oil majors a one week ultimatum to appear over unfulfilled agreements between them and their host communities.
The ultimatum was issued yesterday by the Joint committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements as well as Petroleum Resources (Upstream) during a public hearing on the “Holistic Review of All Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding between Oil Companies in Nigeria and Host Communities” at the National Assembly.
İt would be recalled that the House on December 4, 2019 mandated both committees to launch an investigation into the quantum of unfulfilled agreements between these IOCs, other indigenous oil companies and their host communities.
Earlier, the speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila who declared the hearing open, said it was intended at strengthening of relationship between the oil companies and their host communities.
Represented by the Deputy Whip of the House Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the speaker said that so much resources had been lost to restiveness between these companies and the oil bearing communities.
While assuring the oil producing companies of assurances of fair hearing, he added that there is need to strengthen the relationship between these oil companies and their host communities.
Similarly, Chairman of the joint Committee Hon.Osai Nicholas Osai said the probe is to smoothen the rancorous relationship between the oil companies and their host communities
Ossai said that the Committee have receipt of 300 contentious agreement between these oil companies and their host communities.
He assured of the determination of the Committee to address all the contentious issues between the oil companies and these communities who are the stakeholders at the hearing.
However, the investigation of the IOCs was immediately re-sheduled when the Committee helmsman noted the absence of Managing Directors of major oil producing companies in Nigeria at the hearing.
The lawmaker who threatened to issue warrant of arrest on the CEOs of these companies if they fail to turn up next Tuesday added that the probe is in line with section 88 of the 1999 constitution.
He added that the Committee will issue guidelines to these oil companies on their operations so that the can fulfill their corporate social responsibilities.
The Committee consequently had turned down the requests of representatives of the Managing Directors of Exxon-Mobile Nigeria Limited, Total Nigeria Limited and Addax Petroleum Nigeria Limited to appear before it saying that only their chief executives can respond to their inquest.
