Pipeline protection: Otuasega community demands entitlements from Shell, Agip for landlords

Otuasega Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have set-up an action committee to demand entitlements and royalties for owners of lands hosting pipelines belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

The Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of the Community, Gbanibebi Igbuasi, made this known while inaugurating the committee in Otuasega Town Hall, the Otuasega yesterday.

Mr Igbuasi said that setting up the committee became necessary because of lingering conflicts between contractors of the multinationals and landlords that have in turn forced youths of the community into illicit activities that have become inimical to the growth of the community.

Explaining further he said: “So the CDC, chiefs and youths decided to inaugurate the landlord association because contractors handling pipeline surveillance contracts in the community are not paying royalty to landlords and this has created a lot of problems for the operation of Shell and Agip in our community.

“And when they came to report the matter to the community leadership, we decided to set up the committee to handle the issue between the contractors and landlords so that Shell and Agip can have a conducive environment to operate.”

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According to the Chairman of landlords of Kolo Creek/Rumekpe pipeline, Chief Dokubo Asiemo, said that some of the challenges landlords committees are set-up to resolve are nonpayment of entitlements to them, lack of employment opportunities and awarding of surveillance contracts to ghost contractors.

He said: “As landlords that have lands that Shell and Agip pipelines pass through have not been receiving any form of entitlement. But in other communities, landlords receive royalties and many other benefits.

“We have also realised that employment opportunities for our people are sold to outsiders without recourse to us, the landlords. We have also heard that the companies are awarding pipeline surveillance contracts to ghost contractors that do not even come to site for work. So the committee is set-up to investigate and resolve all these issues.”

Other committees set-up to resolve the dispute includes Gbarain/Soku gas pipeline headed by Chief aleke Friday and a Central Working Committee overseeing the landlords associations led by Donald Banono.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Pipeline protection: Otuasega community demands entitlements from Shell, Agip for landlords