By Obiabin Onukwugha
Last Tuesday, Finima community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, shut down operations of Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo (SCD) over what they described as neglect and inclusion in the ongoing multi-million naira Train-7 project embarked by the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Company (NLNG).
Finima are host to the NLNG and as well the Train-7 project which is being constructed by the Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo (SCD) JV.
The community, through the youth body, defied an early morning rain that lasted several hours to barricade the gate of the companies with traditional instruments and chants of solidarity songs, thus crippling operations of the companies.
The youths, who also came with cooking utensils to occupy the companies, are demanding for their legal rights as regards operations in the oil and gas industry and as well contracts execution. They expressed determination to remain resolute in the protest till their demands are met by the JV companies.
Particularly, the people are demanding the full implement of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010, Community Content Guideline 2017, respect for the leadership of Finima and display of vendors list approved for the community in the project.
The 2010 Local Content Act establishes explicit obligations on all regulatory actors and operators in the Oil and Gas industry, to consider “Nigerian content” (local content) in the execution of any operations or projects in the industry.
Also, the Community Content Guideline 2017 provides the following in relation to employment opportunities for host Communities:
i. All unskilled job roles (e.g. cleaners, porters, grass-cutters etc.) to be exclusively reserved for indigenes of the host community or communities where a project is domiciled
ii. At least 50% of semi‐skilled job roles (e.g. drivers, gardeners, storekeepers, janitors etc.) to be exclusively reserved for indigenes of the host community or communities where the project/operation is domiciled
iii. At least 10% of skilled roles to be exclusively reserved for indigenes of the host community or communities where the project/operation is domiciled.
Where capacity does not exist
Project Promoter or Contractors shall identify near‐fit indigenes, using the “onion effect”, and put in place understudy and succession plan for eventual take‐over of such roles.
In the event that the host community or Communities does not have qualified personnel to take up the 10% of the skilled roles and object to the filling of the 10% of the skilled-roles from the neighboring Community or Communities then the 10% slot shall be converted to additional relevant skill-training for the Community or Communities.
iv. At least 20% of the personnel required during the operations phase must be indigenes of the Community or Communities where the project/operation is domiciled.
However, it was gathered that despite achieving about 70% completion in the project, which was launched in 2021, the Finima community was yet to benefit from it as provided by the relevant laws.
According to the Chairman Finima Youth Congress, Shedrack Brown, who spoke with journalist during the protest, several efforts by the community to have a dialogue with the JV companies over the concerns raised have failed.
He said: “Today, the entirety of Finima community has come out to express their displeasure over the neglect of Saipem/Daewoo, that is the Train 7 contractors who for over time has decided not to have dealings with Finima. You could recall that in 2021 there was a ground breaking for the construction of LNG Train 7 Project. And NLNG in their wisdom brought the entirety of the team of this project to Finima community for identification and then engagement. But ever since that was done till date, the team SDJV has refused to have any dealings with Finima community.
“In fact, we have written several letters through the Finima Capacity Development Committee, even through the Finima Youth Congress, alot of bodies in the community has written to SDJV to ensuring that they have engagement with the community. It is unfair, it is preposterous, it is unjust that such project will be going on in a community and the company will refuse very firmly to have any engagement or dealings with the community in which they are having the construction.”
The youth leader accused the companies of refusing to turn up for a meeting with the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, who invited all parties for a dialogue, saying the community had no choice but to resort to self help through the protest.
“Before then we have invited them they refused to come, we have written series of letters in ensuring that we have a dialogue to have our concerns discussed but this team refused vehemently. If course at such point we have no other option than resort to self help and in carrying out this peaceful protest.
“And what have been our request, implement the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Development Act of 2010, ensure that you comply with the Community Content Guidelines of 2017. These are extant laws of the federation that we are saying comply with. We are not bringing things from the blues, we are not bringing things that are unimaginable. We are bringing things that are common for everybody to practise. Even the Act of 2017 provided that every company, every settlor, every operator, must provide an employment scheme, must provide a training scheme but the question is what have we benefitted as a community when it comes to this project.
“From its inception to this stage of the project we cannot as a community boast of what we have benefited. When it comes to local content the compliance is zero percent. So it is so unfair, it is so vexatious that as a community we have given out all that we have that we treasure which is our land for the general good of the nation and then we keep on suffering to this point,” he stated.
Also, a community leader, Warisenibo Igbiwari Brown, lamented the neglect of community by the companies.
Brown, who is the Asawo Sibidabo of Finima community said: “We do not have any representative here and their project is going on. As if that is not enough, we sent them some list of personnel for them to absorb, they ignored us, they refused to employ those persons.
“We want NLNG, Saipem and Daewoo to come and talk to our leadership. They should come and tell us why have they neglected us for the number of years that they have been operating in our land. They just push us aside so the protest today is necessary and anything other than that we will not leave this place.”
On their part, the Secretary, Finima community women, Mrs. Linda Brown and the General Secretary, Finima Youth Congress, Comrade Attoni Ezekiel, respectively, expressed displeasure at the marginalization of the community in the project.
“We are not happy because of the situation on ground. Since the train 7 Project started, all what they promised the community, precisely the women, we have not gotten any and right now the project is almost done and that is why we decided to take this action so that we all will benefit from it because presently there is nothing for us,” said the Finima women secretary.
For his part, Ezekiel said: “The neglect has marred us, we have no say whatsoever. It is painful, it is our land, it’s our community, it’s what we have, God gave it to us so we should benefit from it primarily and we are short-changed. Our youths are not happy because in terms of employment they are no where, they dropped our youths to bring in strangers from afar. We are not happy at all and until a sacrosanct answer is given in this demonstration, we won’t rest.”
It would be noted that while the protest lasted, the companies management, who had hitherto remained adamant to the request of the community, started making series of calls to the youth leader, calling for truce and audience.
The Finima case is one among many in the Niger Delta where host communities will have to practically beg or embark on demonstrations and legal tussle for what should naturally come to them by virtue of law and the natural resources deposited by nature in their homelands.
The shut down, no doubt, resulted to loss of not just man hours but millions of naira for equipment and materials.
It is hoped that the JV companies will not wait for another protest before implementing whatever agreement that will be reached by parties as a result of this action.