Ben Dunno, Warri
Delta state Local Content Agency, has disclosed plans to fine-tune the present Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) between host communities and various companies operating in the state, in order to promote mutual respect and trust that would enhance harmonious relationship between both parties.
Making this disclosure while addressing newsmen in Warri, yesterday, Director General (DG), Delta state Local Content Agency, Hon. (Dr.) Morris Idiovwa, said the GMoU re-modification had become imperative, in order to address some of the shortcomings the former GMoU failed to accommodate that often breached agreements among stakeholders.
He noted that having researched into some of the immediate and remote causes of conflicts between the host communities and the companies operating in their domain over the years, the agency decided to inject new clauses and guidelines in the new GMoU that would protect the interest of the stakeholders.
According to him; “We are going to be setting some new rules based on international guidelines and standards in the oil and gas sector in the new GMoU, in line with the enabling laws and premise on which the local content agencies are established in the country and particularly in Delta state”.
“We are convinced that the re-modified GMOU initiative would go a long way in reducing, if not totally eliminating issues that bothers on breach of agreements and often lead to
conflicts among stakeholders in the oil and gas sector and their host communities mostly in the remote areas of the state”.
“Considering the sensitive nature of this assignment, we intend to carryout sentization your of all the host communities in the state by hosting indigenes in town hall meetings to feel their pulse and identity some of their challenges, inorder to fathom them in the re-modified GMoU”.
“We also intend to engage the oil and gas sector actors in series of interactive session to also findout their takes on some issues that had been subject of disagreements between them and their host communities, interms of promoting local content in the state, inline with the legal framework establishing the agency”.
Commenting on the power of the agency to sanction erring stakeholders in promoting local content in the state, Dr. Idiovwa, said the enabling law establishing the agency gave it the power to arrest and prosecute defaulting parties in the new GMoU, adding that it would not hesitate to engage such power when a defaulters appears to be unyielding in acting according to the guidelines of the agency.
Also speaking, a consultant to the Agency, Chief Avworo, applauded the composition of the Local Content Agency by the Delta state government, stating that the agency under the leadership of Dr. Morris Idiovwa, would achieve so much in ensuring a robust working relationship between the various companies and their host communities in the state, inline with the provisions of the local content guidelines.