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| NNPC GMD, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu |
The Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change
(NDIMRC) has defended the National Petroleum Investment Management
Services Service( NAPIMS) over alleged marginalization of the Itsekiri,
Ijaw and Ilaje coastal Communities.
The Concerned Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje coastal communities
in an open letter to President Mohammadu Buhari published in one of the
national dailies, had accused NAPIMS and Chevron Nigeria Limited of
marginalization and urged the President to intervene to avoid chaos in
the riverine communities.
But NDIMRC, in a press statement signed By it's President,
Nelly Emma, Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer( PRO),
Stanley Mukoro, rose in defence of NAPIMS, a subsidiary of NNPC.
According to the group, the accusation should be directed only to Chevron Nigeria Limited.
The oil monitoring group wrote, Our attention has been
drawn to an open leter to President Mohammadu Buhari by Concerned
Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje coastal communities on marginalization by
NAPIMS and Chevron Nigeria limited: "An imminent invitation to chaos"
and we hereby exonerate NAPIMS from the accusation.
"We are not here to hold brief for NAPIMS, but if the
truth must be told, there is nothing like "Cabals" in NAPIMS out to
marginalize the people. We should not blame NAPIMS, rather we should
blame Chevron for the marginalization of the people in our riverine
communities of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje, the group said.
It also stated that; "NAPIMS to the best of our knowledge
has been supporting our local contractors and the neglected people of
the Niger Delta region. The manipulation of contracts and the
marginalization of our people are being carried out by Chevron. Chevron
has been frustrating qualified contractors and capable hands that are
supposed to be employed in their area of operations, but this has not
been, the group wrote.
It added that, "NAPIMS is only approving contracts brought
before it by Chevron. Chevron is the brain behind manipulation of
contracts and not NAPIMS. Those in Chevron are in the habit of splashing
their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends with
contracts to the detriment of our people.
Let no one blame NAPIMS for
what our people are passing through."
"Our communities are capable of providing qualified
contractors and capable hands to work in the RIG for use by Chevron in
their exploration and production of crude oil and gas, but are being
denied such opportunities by Chevron and not NAPIMS and this why we are
defending NAPIMS and to say to the whole that the accusation against
NAPIMS by the Concerned Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje coastal communities is
not right, the group said.
The group stated further that;" The last time, a RIG was
brought to Niger Delta region for operations, 70% of Contracts and
Employments were given to the host communities and at that time, the
host communities and local contractors have not built up the capacity
that they have now. At the moment, our local contractors that have built
up capacity as a result of the Nigerian Local Content, can even handle
drilling as a result of the modern equipment that they have acquired for
the Oil and Gas industry in the country. Unfortunately, our local
contractors are being frustrated by top officials of Chevron Nigeria
Limited who are dishing juicy contracts to their relatives and foreign
collaborators. We are sure that what the managers of Chevron are doing
to our people is not part of the Change of President Muhammadu Buhari."
The group however appealed to NAPIMS to make efforts to resolve issues involving the communities and Chevron to subdue the anger of the people.
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