Ondo oil producing communities accuse oil company of neglect

Oil companies in Nigeria have constantly been accused of destroying the lives of their host communities.

Oil producing communities in Ondo State have condemned an oil company operating in the area over alleged neglect of their host communities.

They berated Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited for allegedly violating the agreement it had with them on its social responsibilities to the inhabitants

The Committee of Coastal Oil Producing Communities on Deep Sea Operations in the state in a letter sent to the Managing Director of Esso Exploration Production Nigeria Limited and signed by its Chairman, Erejuwa Adesina and Secretary, Kayode Ojutiri, blamed the organization for breach of agreement.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the presidency, the state governor, and the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

It was alleged that the oil company breached the agreement it had with the host communities and allowed the people to suffer hardship because of their operation in the area.

The aggrieved communities noted that several efforts made by the oil communities to invite the management of the company for a peace parley were frustrated by the management of the company.

They also decried the conduct of the company in handling correspondences that bother on the company’s implementation of its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, and the Local Development Programme, LCDP, of its deep water acreages.

They explained that the proposed construction of new wells and development of Erha North Projects, has compromised the company’s social stand on its catchment area in the state.

The communities explained that the coastal communities in the state constitute the catchment area onshore to Erha Field .

They lamented that the neglect amounts to breach of Nigeria Local Content Act.