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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
The Delta State government has resolved the brewing crisis between Heritage Energy Limited, operators of the Oil Mineral Licence (OML) 30, and its host communities, over rents and expired leases.
The state commissioner for Oil and Gas, Chief Vincent Oyibode, who resolved the dispute during a meeting with the parties in his office in Asaba, urged Heritage Oil Company to expedite action in paying the rental fees and expired leases.
He said delay in budgeting process was cumbersome among oil companies and urged the company to work hard to ensure the new rates for rent were paid in the next year.
Chief Oyibode said the state government would soon hold a stakeholders’ engagement with oil companies and host communities to resolve lingering issues militating against sustainable oil production in the state.
The commissioner while commending the host communities for their peaceful disposition and for not taking the laws into their hands, called on the oil company to ensure reduction in the agitations by processing the payments on time.
He said Delta State remained the most investor-friendly destination in the country despite the recent happenings at Okuama and urged all stakeholders to ensure enhanced peace and security as encapsulated in Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda.
On the expired lease, Chief Oyibode urged the oil company to carry out legal verification within two months to resolve the matter and pay the oil landlords as soon as practicable.
Speaking on behalf of Heritage Energy Limited, Dr Jerry Oharisi and Mr Edesiri Akpomudjere of the company’s Government and Community Relations Department, said the land rental payment was undergoing verification exercise, assuring that it would be paid next month.
Earlier, national chairman of the OML 30 Landlords and families, Barr. Alfred Serumeh regretted that Heritage Oil had refused payments for expired leases which were last paid by SPDC over 20 years ago.
He said the host communities were ready to co-operate with government and the oil company to ensure sustainable oil production in the state, but urged the government to prevail on Heritage Energy to fulfil its obligations to the oil landlords.
