The communities staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday to the Community Development Board (CDB), Ughelli to express their grievances against the oil firm and the Board.
They carried placards with various inscriptions, such as: “HEOSL, stop your operation”, “HEOSL, We need our money today”, “we are tired of your promises”, among others.
The protesters said they would not leave the Community Development Board, a supposed mediating body between the community and the company premises and that no administrative work would take place until their demands were met.
Issuing a 7-day ultimatum to the companies, who are operators of Oil Mining Lease 30 and the Board during the protest, the community leaders and contractors stated that its peaceful disposition may have been taken for granted, adding that it would not continue to be “ignored”.
The protesters lamented that the GMoU 2016 wavier Funds has not been given to contractors that handled various contracts in their communities thereby plugged the contractors into huge debts as the contractors borrowed money from banks, cooperative bodies and money lenders to execute the projects.
They alleged that the “Investable Funds” accrued to the 112 communities that made of up of OML 30 from 2013 till date and N200 million from SAVIC to the communities has been purportedly diverted to the personal pocket of the chairman of CDB, Mr. Morrison Idiovwa.
The protesters alleged further that the funds for 2016 Capacity Building has been paid seven months ago and Mr. Morrison refused to give the money to the communities for disbursement.
They also alleged that he stopped calling the meeting of the board because he had an agreement the company, HESOL to deposit the money into his personal fixed deposit account in one of the new generation bank.
While calling for the immediate sharing of the 2019 and 2020 GMoU Funds to Cluster two and various communities made up of the Cluster, the protesters condemned the actions of the CDB Chairman and the management of the oil firm.
“Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited negate the relevant sections of the GMoU that stated that such money should be share within five working days.
“We suspect that the management of CDB and HESOL are trading with the communities money, we need our Investable funds acrue to Communities from the oil exploration running to billion of nairas, the 2016 capacity building funds that has been released to the communities but withheld by management of CDB, Two hundred million naira paid by SAVIC, and all contractors that handled various contracts in our Communities without delay”.
Responding, Mr. Morris Idiovwa CDB Chairman appealed to the leadership of Cluster 2 Eriemu Oil Field and the contractors to remain calm saying he will personally pass their greviance to the management of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited in Lagos State.
Commenting on the alleged diversion of the Investable funds of Communities into his personal fix deposit account since 2013 till date, he said the money is intact assuring the protesters that the money will soon be release for its purpose.
“I will be the last person to divert funds meant for Communities for my personal uses, don’t worry your money is intact”, he assured.
Earlier, the leaders of Cluster 2 and the contractors has vowed ground the operational activities of HEOSL after expiration of the one week ultimatum given to the HEOSL and CDB.
