Tompolo’s kinsmen threaten to shut down Chevron’s operations in 7 days

Gbaramatu Kingdom, in Warri South-West Local
Government Area of Delta State, has threatened
to shut down operations of Chevron Nigeria
Limited, CNL, if the company fails to address
the marginalization of the community in seven
days.
A statement by the community’s Chairman,
Victor Eseimieghan on Wednesday, accused
Chevron of marginalising the community in the
areas of contracts, employment and corporate
social responsibility, CSR.
The kingdom which is the ancestral home of
former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo,
alias Tompolo also accused the oil company of
“flagrantly violating the local content
requirements in the area of contracts in their
dealings with Benikrukru community over the
years.”
The statement reads, “In the light of the
foregoing, the Chevron Nigeria limited and
government is hereby given a seven- day
ultimatum to address these grievances or the
Benikrukru community would have no other
option than to shut down the operations of
Chevron Nigeria Limited in the Abiteye field.
“Contracts due to the communities in line with
the local content law are given to contractors
fronting for insiders within Chevron at the
expense of the community. For now contracts
such as water injection plant treatment; well-
head servicing; well head repairs; leak repairs;
fumigation and other associated contracts,
which ought to be done by community
contractors are been done by two companies,
Inhouse Group and Pelfaco Nigeria Limited.
“These companies are not owned by Benikrukru
indigenous contractors, but by people from
outside community, who are fronting for insiders
in Chevron Nigeria Limited.
“Also in the area of employment, Chevron has
also stopped the yearly aptitude test through
which they used to employ a few qualified
persons from the community for the past 10
years. They employ now without the knowledge
and interest of the Benikrukru community.
“Even the few persons that were employed from
the community in recent times are all casual
workers. Chevron has also completely
abandoned its corporate social responsibility to
the community by the failure to carry out any
developmental project in the Benikrukru
community for several years. Chevron has
bluntly refused to have any dealing with the
leadership of the community with a view to
resolve these issues.