…request total disengagement of asset operator, HEOSL
The Cluster Management Committee and President Generals Forum of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, have shut down operations of Heritage Energy Operational Services Ltd (HEOSL), operators of OML 30.
The committee requested for the total disengagement of HEOSL from operating OML 30 for “penchant and recalcitrant attitude” to all agreed obligations in line with the General Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU).
The Committee in a resolution signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr Harrison Obogor and Mr Ibuje Joseph respectively, and made available to Realtime.ng, said they will not back down until all their demands are met.
The Committee which represents the 112 host communities to OML 30, said Monday that they have shut down the operations of HEOSL since Friday, and called for total disengagement of the company from operating the asset.
The forum also said that HEOSL has failed to pay their host communities, 2019 and 2020 GMoU funds despite the conducive and peaceful environment provided for uninterrupted operations. They also accused HEOSL of withholding the payment of scholarship awards to the host communities since 2016.
The Cluster Management Committee noted that the oil production company refused to carry out the agreed staff Audit of its Edjeba and Lagos offices, and have reneged on providing corporate social responsibility projects since it became an operator of the asset.
According to the committee, other sins of the company include; “Non-inclusion of indigenous personnel into management position reflecting seventy/thirty (70/30) as enshrined in the GMOU.
“Inability of HEOSL to pay vendors despite the hitch free operation, Non-payment of salaries accrued to access control workers spanning into months.”
They stressed that the asset operator was also “Making it absolutely impossible for Communities to access the deducted 5% investible funds from the GMOU funds as enshrined in the GMOU since inception of OML 30 till date, and delay in carrying out GMOU projects.”
The committee further stated that HEOSL has displayed gross indifference to their host communities by their “Total refusal to share and adhere to GMOU article 5’10 of awarding the assets security and grass cutting directly by the communities.
“Consistent refusal of HEOSL to pay penalty for the default of GMOU funds payment as clearly stated in article 18’2 in every of its failed payments to communities.”
The Cluster Management Committee and President Generals Forum also revealed that they “have authoritative information that cronies/vendors of HEOSL are frantically storming the NPDC office in Benin and NNPC towers in Abuja claiming to be what they are not, to continue as operators of OML 30 asset at the exit of HEOSL from OML 30.”
They therefore warned that, the communities of OML 30 will resist any attempt to offer such previous vendors of HEOSL the operatorship of OML 30 field.
The General Manager, Community Relations of HEOSL, Mr Sylvester Okoh, in a telephone chat, said, “I don’t have the authority to speak on this matter. I will refer you to our Lagos office.”
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to contact the Lagos office on the matter were not successful.