OML 150: Relief for Conoil as Host Communities Settle Leadership Dispute

OML 150: Relief for Conoil as Host Communities Settle Leadership Dispute

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Relief has come the way of Conoil Producing Limited, prospecting OML 150 oil field, as seven Itsekiri host communities settled their leadership crisis in Delta State.

It would be recalled that the crisis had threatened operations of the oil firm with protesting Itsekiri host communities occupying OML 150 oil field since penultimate Wednesday.

Chairman of OML 150 Communities Consultative Forum in Warri, Hon. Monday Agbeyi, in a statement yesterday, said the leadership crisis is over and urged the immediate past Chairman of the Forum to join hands with the new executive in bringing development to the communities.

He appealed to the immediate past chairman of the forum, Mr. Charles Omadeli, to join hands with his team rather than fanning the embers of disunity in Iwere land.

Hon. Agbeyi said what the residents of the seven Itsekiri host communities in Ifiekpo, Uwakeno, Omadino, Ewekwara, Jaluwa Efueye, Aja Osolo and Obodo, who comprised the OML 150 Communities Consultative Forum, needed most at this point in time is development, which can only be engendered in an atmosphere of peace and unity among the populace.

Against this backcloth, Agbeyi said he was ready to meet and dialogue with the former chairman, Omadeli, whose tenure expired on December 21, 2020, on cooperating with the new executive in order for the communities not to lose all the developmental benefits expected to come from Conoil Producing Ltd. in its Corporate Social Responsibilities agenda.

The chairman also urged Conoil, which is prospecting oil in the area, to respect the proclamations of the people by stopping further dealings with the expired Omadeli-led exco.

“I want to emphatically state that Conoil should respect constituted authorities and give expression to the endorsement of the new exco by our people, the Olu of Warri Palace and the Delta State Government by dealing with us as the authentic representatives of the people.

“The oil firm should forthwith desist from its divide-and-rule tactics by hobnobbing with the old exco in order to shirk in delivering its corporate social responsibilities to the host communities,” he said.

Agbeyi said it is only in an atmosphere of peace that Conoil can operate, assuring the giant oil firm of the cooperation of the host communities.

“It would be a win-win situation for the oil firm if it respected constituted authorities and start dealing with the Agbeyi-led executive achieve progress in its prospecting business which will invariably pave way for the development of our communities”, he added.

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