After Protest, NUPRC Wades into CNL, Host Oil Communities’ SpatNUPRCAfter Protest, NUPRC Wades into CNL, Host Oil Communities’ Spat

•Komolafe expects progress report in two weeks

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has waded into the dispute between Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) and some communities within the company’s Warri exploration and production area, in Delta State.

A statement by the commission’s Head, Public Affairs and Communication Unit, Mrs Olaide Shonola, said the disagreement was over the composition and naming of the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) fund.

Both parties in the dispute, NUPRC said, had now been urged to maintain the peace, pending the resolution of the matter.

The statement said, “The dispute between Chevron and the Ugbororo, Ugbegugun and Denbele communities in Warri South Local Government of the state, on the other hand, is over the naming of the host community trust fund established for the communities and the composition of its Board of Trustees.”

Earlier, people from the three communities were reported to have staged a protest in the Escravos Terminal area, accusing Chevron of going against the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) (2021).

According to the statement, at a meeting between the feuding parties on Tuesday at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, the commission’s Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, urged them to maintain the status quo and ensure peace reigned in the operational area.

Komolafe explained that the regulator was determined to ensure that the fit and proper thing was done immediately to resolve the pending issues.

Having listened to the submissions of the parties, Komolafe issued a regulatory position and directed Chevron on the resolution of the matter, which must be implemented within two weeks.

He emphasised that the law, which was very explicit on the matter in contention, must be obeyed by all the parties concerned.

Among other directives, the NUPRC chief executive called for the immediate convening of consultation meetings with the communities on the proper delineation and naming of the fund in compliance with the PIA and the re-composition of the Board of Trustees in line with an earlier directive of the commission.

“The process, which must be supervised by the commission’s Warri Regional Office, is expected to be finalised and the report sent to the commission within two weeks,” Komolafe directed.

Last week, CNL, operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and CNL, in a statement, said protesters blocked its Terminal and Escravos Gas-to-Liquids jetties in its Western area of operation.

The oil firm said the protesters were demanding the renaming of the Warri Kingdom Onshore HCDT and involvement in the nomination of additional persons for inclusion on the Board of Trustees of the fund.

“In addition, they are requesting for mobilisation of their community workers for the EGTL Turnaround Maintenance activities,” Chevron stated in the statement issued in Lagos by its General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn.