The $3bn gas gathering projects of Chevron Nigeria Limited, scheduled for September may be delayed, due to the sharp disagreement with the Itsekiri host community.
Already, the Ugborodo community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, has threatened to frustrate the smooth take-off and execution of the projects unless the management of the oil major and its service companies meet certain demands before September.
The projects � Escravos- Gas- to- Liquid and Escravos Gas Plant 3 were conceived by the CNL as part of the initiative to end gas flaring in the country in 2008, as directed by the Federal Government.
The management of CNL appointed an oil servicing company, Southern Gas Construction Limited, as the main contractor for the execution of the jobs.
The SGC, in turn, nominated Hyundai Heavy Industries, as a sub-contractor.
The leadership of Ugborodo community, in a protest letter to the General Manager, Government and Public Affairs of CNL, Mr. Femi Odumabo, in May, alleged neglect in the award of contracts and employment of workers for the projects.
To this end, the community demanded for 50 per cent employment quota, release of Ugborodo contract quota, formalistion of supply contract by SGC and the relocation of the administrative offices of the contracting firms to their operational areas in the Itsekiri community.
The threat by the community to foment trouble on the expiration of an ultimatum, compelled the management of CNL to enter into an agreement in which it volunteered to address the grievances.
The leaders of the community vacated the ultimatum following the assurance that the CNL�s management would prevail on the contracting firms to accede to the demands.
However, the Chairman of Ugborodo Trust Management Committee, Mr. Isaac Botosan, and Secretary, Mr. Mike Wilkie, in a fresh protest letter to the CNL dated August 25, alleged that the oil firm and its contractors reneged on the May agreement.
The community lamented that all contracts and employments were been given to non � indigenes in violation of the local content policy of the government.
They said their grievances were not addressed to date, adding that they could not guarantee unhindered execution of the projects.
The community in the latest letter to the management of CN, said, �We inform you that despite your personal intervention on our ultimatum to the Hyundai Heavy Industries, our community is still being short-changed in the area of employment and contract awards.
�We wish to assure you that in the absence of the resolution of these issues, it will be difficult to hold us responsible for the chain of reactions, which will follow the �maradonic� behaviour of the HHI�s management. �
Odumabo, who was contacted on the phone, said he was on vacation, adding that he was not on top of the development in the company.
His subordinate, Mr. Deji Haastrup, whom he directed our correspondent to for enquiry on the matter, refused to pick calls to his cell phone.