Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Defence Headquarters has said that the Joint Taskforce operating in the Niger Delta region, Operation Delta Safe, OPDS, resolved a total of 54 corporate social responsibility disputes between oil firms and their host communities in the region, in the year 2021.
Some of the oil firms, according to the Defence Headquarters, include Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NECONDE and SEEPCO.
Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Benard Onyeuko, said Operation Delta Safe has continued to effectively utilize the non-kinetic conflicts containment and resolution mechanism.
Onyeuko added that the mechanism includes using the appropriate legal and judicial instruments, Civil Military Cooperation CIMIC mediations efforts to resolve mostly Corporate Social Responsibility related disputes between host communities and the oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta.
“Within the year 2021, the JTF OPDS has amicably resolved about 54 corporate social responsibility-related heated disputes involving oil companies such as SEEPCO, SPDC, AITEO, NECONDE and NAOC among others, with their host communities.
“The employment of non-kinetic instruments has contributed immensely to averting breaches against oil and gas infrastructure by host communities which has thus, significantly contributed to providing a conducive environment for oil and gas businesses to thrive.
“Similarly, due to the level of trust and confidence that both the oil and gas companies and the host communities have reposed on the OPDS, the JTF has minimal cases of human rights abuses which could mostly arise from confrontations with troops by aggrieved parties.”
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