29 December 2014, Yenagoa – The people of Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, have turned down the 10 bags of rice and one goat intended as Christmas gift to the community by ENI otherwise known as Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC.
In a statement in Nembe, the Chairman of Nembe Oil and Gas Committee, Chief Nengi Orioworio, described the gift as “a corporate embarrassment to the traditional institution and the good people of Nembe Kingdom which the people will never take kindly.”
Orioworio recalled a meeting with the General Manager District of the company when he visited King Edmund Dakoru, the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom, alongside his management team, where issues of corporate social responsibilities were addressed.
He noted that for Agip to give 10 bags of rice and one goat to a community of about 5,000 was a clear demonstration of the crass insensitivity of the oil company to the community which is a major hub of Agip’s operations.
Orioworio stressed that the people of Nembe are a contented people, who will never be cowed by any Greek gift that will cause disaffection among the people of the area.
According to him, Nembe Kingdom was in dire need of development and employment for the teeming unemployed youths alongside environmental protection.
He warned that if the issues were not properly handled, they could affect the harmonious relationship and peaceful coexistence between the company and the community.
– Vanguard
