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General News of Thursday, 19 August 2021

Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

FG intervenes in Rivers community, Agip’s crisis over planned sacking of 165 workers

The Federal Government of Nigeria The Federal Government of Nigeria

The Federal Government has summoned the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NOAC) for an explanation, following a report of alleged plans to sack over 165 indigenous workers to avert the looming crisis.

Daily Sun gathered that the Presidency had invited the firm, Omoku communities (the complaint), the Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the director, Department of State Security and the Inspector General of Police to the meeting in Abuja, on Monday.

It was further learnt that NAOC did not turn up for the meeting, but rather sent in a letter detailing that it could not gather its personnel for the meeting, causing a reschedule of the meeting for August 23.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, yesterday, on arrival from the meeting, coordinator general of Omoku Community Youth Leaders Forum (OCYLF), Ekeuku Pureheart, commended the Federal Government for initiating the peace movement, adding that it would resolve the pending issues between the host communities of Omoku and Agip.

Pureheart said the newly passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has saved the host communities in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, from the stronghold of Agip.

He accused Agip of turning the communities to beggars, noting that with the passage of the PIB, a legal framework has been established on how the firm should relate with its host.

Pureheart said: “Since the PIB has been passed, Agip will no longer have all those excuses, because the PIB will now be the legal framework to address the issues of host communities.

“It has been to Agip as if we are begging them. Whatever we demand, it is as if they are doing us a favour and we are begging them. But, today, by the grace of God, it is now a matter of right because there are legal provisions to it in the PIB.”