Niger Delta: US Firm Heightens Security Situation

WITH oil production activities still being largely disrupted in the Rivers State axis of the Niger Delta, amid incidents of sporadic gun shooting by rival cult cum militia cells in most parts of the state, a United States (U.S.) oil firm is currently heightening the worsening security situation in the oil and gas region of Nigeria.

The management of Willbros Nigeria Limited, one of the frontline U.S. oil servicing companies operating in the Niger Delta, is locked in confrontation with over 1000 of their junior and intermediate workers who are protesting against the U.S. firm's alleged breach of their Collective Agreement.

Some top functionaries of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) who made this known to our correspondent in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, on Tuesday night, are alleging that Willbros management response to the workers demands was not encouraging. The protesting oil workers are being branded as ''terrorists'' by the U.S. company.

Already, security agencies in the oil region are beginning to in guarded whispers that the impasse at Willbros has the potential of spiraling into a full blown crisis that could impact negatively on the larger sector of Nigeria.

Cocerned labour leaders in the oil and gas region are also worried that the protesting Willbros workers have been defined by their management, through an alleged publication of ''seditious information'' in some key embassies and governments in Nigeria.

Chibuzor Nanwu, Chairman of the Willbros branch of NUPENG and his Treasurer, Alex Agwanwor, are alleging that the company has breached the agreement they reached in May 2006, by putting them on perpetual standby without pay. The U.S. company is also being accused of selling its greater portion to ASCOT Offshore Nigeria Limited, without settling the workers.

According to the union leaders, the workers are being owed over nine months pay. They are also accusing the company of defrauding the workers to the tune of over N50million pension deductions.

In the mean time, each of the affected workers are demanding a settlement package of N5.00million. For the 1000 of them, this is likely to be in the region of N5.00billion. ASCOT, the company that is buying up Willbros is said to be owned by one of the immediate past governors of the Niger Delta.

For those who know better, the alleged unwholesome acts of the American firm is heightening the security situation in the oil region as those being laid off, put on standby ''are sons and daughters of the oil region whose economic lives have been rendered impotent''

NUPENG says children of the protesting oil workers are being chased out of schools for want of money to pay school fees. According to the union, the Willbros workers ''are now subjects of landlord attacks for want of money to pay house rents, they are now malnourished for want of money to buy food with which to feed and a lot more serious suffering''.

But Willbros is keeping sealed lips on this accusations. Public Relations Officer of the company, Solomon Aluge, says he is not competent to speak on the issues being raised by the workers.

When our correspondent called his mobile phone at 9.15A.M on Wednesday, June 20, 2007, he simply said: ''I have no comments. I am not competent to speak on the issues because i have no authority to do so''

ENDS

© Scoop Media