By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
Youths of Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom have threatened to expel AOS-Orwell Ltd, an oil prospecting company, over breach of agreement.
The angry youths in a letter to the management of AOS-Orwell obtained by newsmen on Wednesday in Uyo accused the company of failing to abide by the terms of agreement it entered with oil bearing communities in the area on December 17th, 2018.
In the letter signed by the Chairman of Ibeno Youth Presidents’ Forum, Comrade Akparawa Etia, the youths stated that the company had agreed to employ indigence and four community liaison officers(CLO) to represent the four local government areas that make ExxonMobil host communities.
The youths also said the company agreed to execute communication development projects, implement competitive pay package with good conditions of service and capacity building development for the host communities.
“All these were agreed on the basis of the fact that when AOS-Orwell has a contract with ExxonMobil, the agreement will be implemented. The copy of the said agreement is with us, officially signed by the two parties-the AOS-Orwell management team and the community representatives.
“Presently, AOS-Orwell has signed and secured contracts with ExxonMobil (Provision of Finshing Toolbox and Services) where their operational locations are: Borr Drilling Rigs-Gerd and GROA, Shelf Drilling Rig-Trident, all situated in our community /state territorial waters.
“Moreover, it is extremely amazing and disappointing that after securing contracts with ExxonMobil in our communities and after a lengthy meeting with the same management team on Wednesday 26th February 2020, they decided to renege on all the agreements we had.” They said.
According to the youths, the management of AOS-Orwell in its reply, stated that it would not employ indigence of host communities as field workers and CLOs, reneged on community assistant projects, and pay package and condition of service.
The youths in the letter maintained that AOS-Orwell must meet all the contractual terms namely, “employment for fieldwork-eight employment opportunities for the host communities of ExxonMobil, 3 CLOs representing Ibeno, Onna, Esit Eket local government areas, all trained and staffed with full entitlements.
“Construction and equipping of health or educational facilities in 4 host communities of Ibeno, Onna, Esit Eket and Eket among others “.
