NPDC, 11 Delta communities, sign peace treaty

There is hope for peace at last between the 11 host communities of the Oil Mining Lease 30 of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State and the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company.

The two have signed a peace treaty.

The oil firm and the communities had been at each others’ throats, following their non-compliance with the ‘gentleman’s’ agreement between them.

At the expiration of an ultimatum issued on the company, the communities, making up the eight flow stations of the company, ordered a showdown that compelled all indigenous workers to effectively shut down production.

The crisis that erupted thereafter forced the state government late last year to inaugurate a team on dispute resolution to immediately fashion out a lasting solution to the disharmony.

Just on Thursday, in Asaba, the state capital, a Memorandum of Understanding with a fixed sum was negotiated as the project sum to be paid yearly by the company into a dedicated account to be managed by the communities.

The pact, among other things, includes the identification of the basic needs and execution of projects and a peace award of 5 per cent of the project sum to cluster groups.

The host communities are also bound in the treaty to ensure smooth operations in the company.

The Managing Director of the company, Anthony Moemeke, who led a team of top officials of the state-owned oil company, expressed optimism that with the signing of the peace pact, “there will be a truly peaceful relationship between both parties”.

Moemeke added: “OML 30 is one of its biggest assets in the state.”