By Rosemary Nwisi
Chiefs and indigenes of Omerelu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State set the conditions for peace with the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR) Limited via a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), reports ROSEMARY NWISI, Port Harcourt
Their joy knew no bounds. Now they look forward to great days ahead. Signs of the shape of things to come emerged at the weekend when Omerelu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State signed a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) with Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR) Limited, an indigenous oil firm operating Oil Mining Lease (OML)-53.
The process, which began three months ago, was finally sealed in the presence of the Paramount Ruler of the host community, Eze Ben Ugo (Eluw-oha VIII), Ikwerre Local Government Chairman Samuel Nwanosike, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr. Felix Odungweru, official of the state Ministry of Justice, women and youths of the community, as well as delegates of the company, among others.
Eze Ugo, who could not hide his joy over the successful GMoU signing, said his hopes were high that the entrant of the company into their land would address the employment, economic and developmental needs of his people and the community and pledged the community’s supports to the operation of their tenant as long as they (NDPR), keeps to its side of the deal.
He said: “I am particularly happy because, in my lifetime, an oil company is coming to operate in my place so I am happy and I welcome them with my two hands open and promise that as far as they keep to this content of the memorandum of understanding we have signed today, we shall give them maximum cooperation.”
Asked some of the things they had agreed with the company during the negotiation process, he said: “We agreed that they make sure that before they will employ any worker for any vacant position in the company, they should first look into the community.
“We also signed that the company will ensure that the community where they are coming to operate was not left worse than they met it, but make sure that they bring about the empowerment, and developmental facilities into the community among others.”
Corroborating the Eze, an indigene who prepared the GMOU, Augustine Igwe, a lawyer, expressed satisfaction with the content of the document and expressed the hope that if the company followed it with a sense of responsibility, it would not have a problem.
He noted that a template was set out for peaceful resolution of any impasse that might show up in the course of their doing business in the community and noted that the community was ready to play by the rule.
Igwe said: “The content of the GMOU has a lot of benefits for the community such as employment, scholarships development, among others. As we speak now, we presently have six outstanding management cadre employment chances the company has earmarked for the community, then there are also other chances of employment at Nigeria quota.
“We have good opportunities of interfacing with the company and today, we are signing the GMOU and we are very much happy that we have succeeded in signing the GMOU although, there are a lot of issues starting from the community to the Government during the negotiation period, yet we are happy that the process had a successful end, that we can now say that NDPR and Omerelu community have GMOU.
“We are very satisfied with the content of the GMOU and that is because, after the deliberation, the agreements and disagreements, we finally came to a compromise, this kind of thing is usually a win-win situation. Hence, we are very much happy, with the agreements we were able to reach at the end of the day.
“And on our side of the deal, it is the responsibility event of the community to provide a conducive atmosphere for the operation of NDPR; in doing this, we have to partner with the Security agencies in the state to enable NDPR to carry out their operations without any harassment.
“It is also our duty not to allow anyone from the community to come to our space to disturb the activities of NDPR in our community, as far as the agreement has been signed with Omerelu community today, if there is any dispute between NDPR and the community, there is an Act in the MOU that stipulates steps that must be taken to resolving it.”
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He added: “We agreed under Article 7 of the GMOU that if there is any disagreement between the community and the company, we would, first of all, have an oversight of the matter, and then if they are unable to resolve it, we would move to the Chieftaincy Affairs in Port Harcourt. If we are still unable to resolve the issue then, we can appoint three administrators, one from the company, one from the community, and one from both, that is the agreement.
“Hence, we cannot just refer to the court, except only when we had exhausted all these avenues, only then can we proceed to Court which is the final arbiter.”
Also speaking, a representative of the Board of Trustees of the Operating Company, Enyindah Chuku, agreed that the document signed would benefit the company and its host community.
Chuku disclosed that the NDPR is the first oil and gas mining company to operate in the community and that the GMoU would create a harmonious relationship between the firm and its host community and promised that the company would not betray the trust indigenes of the community have reposed in it.
He said: “We have not been operating in Omerelu community, so we have not had previous experience in whichever way with the place and its people, but now that a business contract has been signed between us and the community, we have begun a formal working relationship.”
On what assurance the company is giving the host community, he said: “The rules are set out in the GMoU they have signed, so if they play by the rules, the company will have a conducive environment to operate as well as peace, and the community will have some Corporate Social Responsibility done to them by the Company.
“There are supposed to be developmental projects, which will come from this relationship, so the community will benefit from all these, employment and skill acquisition, and those things that are supposed for empowerment will follow.”
Odungweru told reporters peace was essential for increased productivity, economic growth and development of host communities, and urged companies operating in communities in the state to ensure they do the needful to avoid preventable fracas between them their host communities.
“No company should play the Ostrich, all companies should do the needful as it concerns their social cooperate responsibilities to their host communities, that is the way forward for peace and tranquillity between them their the communities and businesses growth.
“What the signing of the agreement portends is that among other things is that the economy will be enhanced, starting from the local, state and Federal Government, if parties keep to the terms of the agreement signed.
“If there is a good working understanding between the company and their host community; in other, for companies to keep to its co-operate social responsibilities to the communities and the communities maintain the peace as agreed, the signing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) cannot be overemphasized.”
He noted that the process of negotiating, drafting and sealing of the document lasted for three months.
The Nation learnt that the GMOU is subject for renewal after three years.
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