TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Contractors working for an indigenous firm, Belemaoil Producing Limited (BPL), have declared  showdown with the indigenous oil company over their unpaid debts.
The aggrieved contractors  took over the entrance gate paralysing business activities into company’s Corporate Head Office on Odili road, Port Harcourt yesterday.
One of the leaders of the protesters, Brown Aboyi,  said it was disheartening failure of the firm to clear debts owed the contracting firms for several months.
Aboyi explained that while some of the contractors have been owed since 2018, some others have not been paid since 2012, regretting that the development was mark of neglect by the firm.
He said: “We do lubricants and we do chemical supplies and applications to Belemaoil. For a long while now, some as far back as 2012, some others around 2018 till date Belemaoil has been owing.
“Majority of the people you see here have outstanding payment since 2018. I have one since February, 2018. I have another one since July last year; jobs that have been done. We have continued to service and do inspection. But, till today, we have not received payment.
“Before you engage the company, they stipulate times that you will be paid. For Belemaoil the service order is for 60 days, which means they pay every 60 days. As I speak some have gone over 700 days, some 1,000 days and above no payment. Their sister company J&J Global, that does most of the procurement for Belemaoil is also owing people since 2012”, he stated.
Aboyi said: “They claim that DPR has not paid. But, we have done our findings DPR is not even owing Belemaoil. It is discouraging knowing that Belemaoil is an indigenous company. We felt the local content stuff is really gaining ground and for a company like this an oil producing company, not an oil servicing company.
“When they invited us to work here, we felt this is our own let’s support their operations and we were patient with them. But, over time, they have proven to be insensitive and incompetence.
“The Manager has talked to us earlier that they would start payment, but till today, we have not heard from them.  We have lost confidence in them.
“We have come out because of their insensitivity to say pay us now. We want them to pay us all they owe us. Once that is done, we are at peace with him”.
Meanwhile, image maker of the company, Samuel Abel-Jumbo, could not be reached for reaction.
He neither picked his calls, nor replied a test message sent to his mobile phone.