The Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has intervened in the conflict between Chevron and its host communities in Delta and Bayelsa states over the 2012 rig explosion.
Representative of Chevron host communities, Mr. Mathew Sele-Epri, said on Thursday that the three parties held talks on Tuesday.
According to him, Commander of JTF, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, presided over the meeting at JTF Headquarters in Yenagoa between Chevron and representatives of the impacted communities.
The Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has intervened in the conflict between Chevron and its host communities in Delta and Bayelsa states over the 2012 rig explosion.
Representative of Chevron host communities, Mr. Mathew Sele-Epri, said on Thursday that the three parties held talks on Tuesday.
According to him, Commander of JTF, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, presided over the meeting at JTF Headquarters in Yenagoa between Chevron and representatives of the impacted communities.
Koluama communities, hosts to Chevron’s operations in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa had threatened to resume agitations for compensation for the 2012 rig explosion in Chevron’s field.
Hundreds of youths from Koluama had on September 15 boarded the North Apoi oil platform operated by Chevron over nonpayment of compensation for the rig explosion and vacated the facility after officials of the oil firm opted for dialogue.
The January 2012 explosion sparked off a fire incident which burnt at the oil rig for over 50 days before it was put out.
Sele-Epri said the parties to the talks resolved to await outcome of a Post-Impact Assessment study which would form the basis of negotiations for compensation to affected communities.
He said, “The JTF Commander appealed that we should suspend our planned protests to agitate for compensation and he advised that we should rather find out the status of the PIA from National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency.
“The commander appealed to all parties to maintain the peace while the issues are being resolved amicably.
“Representatives of Chevron told the gathering that the PIA report is expected to come out in November and be accessible to all the parties by the end of November. The meeting was adjourned until November 21.”
He said that the communities had also commissioned independent impact assessment studies and would compare the reports with the one conducted by the regulators.
“We had earlier agreed that there was damage because the proofs of damage and impact were well documented, we are awaiting the report to ascertain the level of damage,” Sele-Epri said.
Chevron’s General Manager in charge of Communications Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Deji Haastru, said they were committed to resolving conflicts through dialogue.
He said, “Chevron Nigeria Limited confirms that on Monday September 15, 2014, some youths claiming to be from communities neighboring our operations in Bayelsa, who illegally boarded our North Apoi platform off the coast of Nigeria have vacated the facility peacefully.
“No one on the platform was harmed and there was no damage to the facilities. CNL continues to advocate respect for the Rule of Law and the use of constructive dialogue in the resolution of all issues.”
Discussion about this post