Delta Updates

Delta Resolves Heritage, OML 30 Landlords' Feud

Delta State Government has resolved the brewing crisis between Heritage Energy Limited, operators of the Oil Mineral Licence OML 30 and landlords 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 Oil and Gas Commissioner while commending the oil landlords for their peaceful disposition and for not taking the laws into their hands, called on the Oil company to cut down 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 was last paid by SPDC over 20 years ago.

He said oil landlords were ready to cooperate 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.

ONE YEAR IN OFFICE: Oborevwori to inaugurate multiple projects - Aniagwu

Delta State Commissioner for Works, Rural and Riverine Roads, Mr Charles Aniagwu says Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has lined up numerous projects for inauguration to mark his one year anniversary in office.

Aniagwu who spoke to journalists shortly after inspecting some completed and ongoing projects in Okpe and Ughelli North Local Government Areas of the state, said that Governor Oborevwori was desirous to deliver quality projects to Deltans in line with his MORE Agenda.

The Works Commissioner who was flanked by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon and Functioning Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Engr. Solomon Aghagba said: "We have today inspected four different roads, the first one being the Adagbrasa Road that starts from Warri-Sapele Express and terminates at the Effurun Eku Road.

"Off course, it has a spur to Oha and the second one is 13.07km, the other one is Esezi Road in Orerokpe which is a dual carriageway and it is a 1.2km. It is a road that cuts across a very major part of Orerokpe, the headquarters of Okpe Local Government Area of the state.

"We also inspected the Okan junction to Agbarho and from there we are now inspecting this one which is about 3.47km

"The reason why we are carrying out this inpection is that the governor has directed that we must ensure that contractors are achieving three important things which are:

"One is to ensure that we are able to meet up with the speed which means in line with the schedule of work; two is to ensure that Deltans also get value for money which is to say that whatever that we have put in the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation, BEME, is adhered to and third reason and very importantly, is to ensure that the quality or standard of work is such that Deltans get value for the money that we are deploying for these different jobs.

"The governor is very much interested in these jobs and ditto any other jobs across the 25 local government areas of the state.

"What we are doing now is that, ahead of our one year in office, we are looking at the number of roads that we are sure will be completed.

"The first one we went which is Adagbrasa Road, you could see that that one is completed and by the grace of God, the road will be part of the roads that we are going to be commissioning in the course of our one year in office.

"We have been assured by the contractor that these other three roads may likely fall in within that threshold but what is most important is that the contractor is not only on site, but he is actually moving with speed and l am very much impressed with the quality of work that they are bringing to bare.

"So, what it means is that this is not the time where a contractor gets a job and turn it to a bedroom and possibly begins to sleep.

"At our own end, by the grace of God, we will continue to see what we can do to meet up with the financial requirements of the jobs that we have awarded to contractors.

"For all these jobs that we are doing, we are taking cognisance of compensation and that is being handled by our valuers which is why you can see that a number of structures that are on the right of way have been removed.

"Let me use this opportunity to also appreciate our brothers and sisters that are leaving along these different corridors that we are constructing for showing a whole lot of cooperation and understanding.

"And because of that, you can see that the contractors are working more or less seamlessly, we have not heard report of anybody disturbing them and we must thank them for appreciating that government is desirous of bringing development to them and that the cooperation that they are giving us makes it quite encouraging for the government to continue to partner with them as major stakeholders in the development of Delta.

"Be rest assured that Governor Oborevwori has the 25 local government map on his table. He believes that what is good for the gease is also good for the gander and that is what he is doing and that is why you are seeing that a number of jobs are being completed in some other local government and new jobs are being initiated in other local government.

"The same amount of zest he is bringing to bare in the works sector is also what he is bringing to bare in the education sector, in the housing sector and of course in many other sectors so that at the end of the day, you will have holistic development across the length and breadth of the 25 local government areas of the state."