The Nye Nwe Ele Ogbele Community, Eze Uwlokwain 1, of Ekpeye, High Chief Prince C. O , Eze Gwogwo jp, ap, Nye Nwe – Ele Ogbele Community has urged the management of the Niger Delta petroleum Resources Limited, now, Aradel Holdings Plc, to always consult with the Ogbele Community in whatever decision the company is taking in order to maintain community/ company relations.
Eze Gwogwo stated this during the community interface with the community affairs manager of Aradel Holdings in Ogbele Community on may 15,2024.
Eze Gwogwo said that the need for Aradel to laise with the community before picking a community representative is to know the person the company has selected to represent the community.
He used the opportunity to commend the community affairs manager of Aradel Holdings Plc for the efforts and steps taken to change the negative narratives between the company and Ogbele Community.
Earlier in his address, the community Development Committee (CDC) Secretary General, comrade Solomon A. Oyagiri thanked the Aradel Holdings Plc community affairs manager, chief Blessing okpowo for visiting Ogbele Community to interface with the community to know their challenges .
Comrade Solomon said that former managing Director of the company who succeeded Dr. Aret Adams did not do well for the community for over 20 years, pointing out that the NDPR Corporate Philosophy entails 5 percent host communities Development Trust fund,in which he posited that till today, Ogbele Community is yet to know how much that is accrueable to the comments, either guaterly or annually.
Account to Solomon, the compensation for the fishermen and women for polluting theirs Rivers and environment due to the trucking operations on their coast lines are yet to be paid,as well as the non compliance to payment of Ogbele Community salaries from Badges/ vessels trucking at base of great ishikoloko family land along their coast lines since September, 2022.
The CDC Secretary General among other demands by Ogbele Community include, employment of indegenes into managerial position, award of contracts and supplies of petroleum products and other market supplies to the community.
He also enjoy the company to implement the arrangements reached with the management of Aradel .
He however appealed to the management of Aradel Holdings Plc to change the people who are presently occupational and representing Ogbele Community at the level of BOT ,Mgt and CAC, because, according to him, they are not the choice and true representatives of Ogbele people, pointing out that the community needs the activation of development projects, most especially, the electricity upgrade of the High and low tension, renovation and rehabilitation of Ogbele primary Health care center that was built by Ogbele women Association and to reopen their cottage hospital.
In his response, the community affairs manager of Aradel Holdings Plc, chief Blessing okpowo who was the special guest to Ogbele Community, thanked Ogbele Community for the privilege to talk to Ogbele Community.
Chief Blessing assured the community that their request would be communicated to the management of Aradel Holdings Plc.
Okpowo promised to open a new chapter with Ogbele Community, even as he appealed to them to forget about their past grievances so that they can work together to achieve set goal.
He promo to work in synergy with the community and their choice of representatives in the company, pointing out that the community has what he described as community content development policy where a data base would be set up to give the comments a preference.
He used the opportunity to assure Ogbele Community that their healthy center would be reopened, with the necessary drugs and equipments
Meanwhile, okpowo has stressed the need to set up a committee to include, representatives of the Ogbele youths, women, point out that the consultative committee would also include landlords families and chiefs who would interface with the management of Aradel Holdings Plc from time to time, adding that the era of divide and rule was over as Aradel Holdings Plc are ready and willing to work in synergy with Ogbele Community to achieve set goal.