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By Bunmi Ola
Workers of Ocean Marine Solutions in Oil Mining Lease, OML 30 of Isoko and Urhobo ethnic nationality has passed a vote of confidence on Ocean Marine Solution over it’s Intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance that has reduced pipeline vandalism.
The workers had also called on the Federal and Delta State governments, National Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Shoreline Resources, Security agents to urgently prevail on the chairman of Community Development Board, CDB and the newly appointed Director General, Delta State Local Content Agency to stop armtwisting the existing GMOU for his personal gains.
In a statement signed by Emmanuel Erhire, and Chief Samuel Oghotomo, (JP), supervisors of the In-field surveillance in Isoko and Urhobo ethnic nationality respectively on behalf of the workers held that the the CDB chairman is armtwisting the community GMOU for his personal gains.
According to the statement, “We have come together in our working regalia to convey our sincere appreciation to the management of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC for renewing the contract for the Intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance of OML 30 to Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, OMSL.
“It is a most deserving reward for competence, capacity and technical-Know-How, which has become the the hallmark of OMSL since the company took over the Intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance of the asset.
“We wish to state categorically that Intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance which are the core operation of OMSL are highly skilled and sophisticated is not same with the community security as provided for in the GMOU.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the GMOU provisions on host communities handling community surveillance has not only be religiously adhered to, but has been implemented to the later.
“Today, Heritage Oil services runs the community security, (IPSS), Grass cutting, House Keeping and other similar jobs through community contractors in consonance with the aforementioned provisions of the GMOU.
“Giving the intensiveness and capital required in intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance, it will lead to chaos and possible declaration of force and anarchy if it is under the garb of host communities contractor.
“We must understand that Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, OMSL, came on board at a time when the assets was going through the worst of times, crude oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism were at its peak and production was at its lowest as vandals with impunity build illegal refineries in several host communities.
“This was because of the serious disconnection between OMSL predecessor, ‘Eraskorp Nig. Ltd’., and host communities which resulted to lukewarmness, inefficiency and negligence to work caused by irregular payment of workers salaries.
“We have being on this job for over 10 years under different contractors of which OMSL is the best. We will resist any attempt by the chairman of CDB who double as the Director General, Delta State Local Content Agency who is using propaganda, blackmail, incitements and other means to hide under the guise of the GMOU to disengage OMSL contract and the over 500 indigenous workers illegally.
“We are equal stakeholders all deserving to benefit from the asset in our backyard. It is instructive to mention that Morris Idiovwa in his first term in office as chairman of CDB in 2018 worked to ensure the award of the Intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance OML 30 handled hitherto by Chief Evans Akponana, an indigene of Afiesere, a prominent host community of the asset to ‘Eraskorp Nig. Ltd’., a company owned by an indigene of Bayelsa state.
“In a meeting at the instance of the Delta State Attorney General, following a letter of protest from host communities president generals, Morris who was fronting for ‘Eraskorp Nig Ltd’, stated clearly the difference between community security and Intelligence Gathering /Covert Surveillance as enshrined in the GMOU as at then.
“What has gone wrong, why has Morris now want the Intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance job for himself through his personal company, ‘Mormo Marine Limited’ while he is already using same company to handle Manpower Sources and Wellhead intervention contract under the guise of local content.
“The Mormo Marine Nigeria Limited is owned by Morris Idiovwa with other directors who are non-indigene, but he is wanting to ensure that OMSL that is owned by Edo state man is kicked out in the name of local content. If he eventually get over it, will he and his non-indigene co-directors not share from the profit, if yes, what is then crime of OMSL?
“Crude oil mining is in exclusive list of the federal government and every Nigerian by the nation’s constitution is free to do business in any part of the country especially when indigenes are recognized and carried along. With this we are calling on the Delta State government to call the Director General, Local Content Agency to order.
“It will also interest the public to know that, ‘Multiversal Nigeria Ltd’ where he is having sufficient if not majority, is handling the Spillage Clamping contracts in OML 30.
“The CDB chairman cannot claim to be more of OML 30 than the over 500 indigenous workers of OMSL, while he is using his ‘Mormo Marine Ltd’ to front for non-indigenes of OML 30 as he did with ‘Eraskorp Nig. Ltd’.
“We wish to emphasised that the GMOU stipulates that the workforce of the operation of the OML 30 asset should be in the ratio of seventy percent indigenous staff and 30 percent company input in accordance with the local Content policy.
“But today the practice is being breached and direct opposite as foreign workers of the operator of the asset, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited HEOSL, now accounts for seventy percent leaving the 111 communities with a just paltry thirty percent under the watch of CDB and Morris Idovwa leadership while he preaches local content.
“OMSL introduction of the use of drones and other technologies for aerial surveillance, deployment of sufficient manpower and machineries has made it possible for the complete dismantling of illegal refineries in all part of the asset.
“The company (OMSL) has brought remarkable sanity to operation of the asset which has stabilized and increased crude oil production in OML 30.
“We, the over five hundred workers and bona-fide indigenes of host communities of Isoko and Urhobo ethnic nationality wish to express our explicit satisfaction with the operation, conduct and approach of OMSL in intelligence Gathering/Covert Surveillance of OML 30 and therefore passed a vote of confidence on the company”. The statement reads.
