.Sets up Joint Negotiation Committee
By Valentine Amanze
Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday, December 8, 2016, called for everlasting peace between oil producing companies and their host communities in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta local government areas of the state.
He also ordered the constitution of a Joint Negotiation Committee between both parties and some government agencies to achieve the objective.
The governor explained that the committee would define the relationship between the oil companies and their hosts to boost development.
The governor spoke at a meeting he presided over between traditional rulers, youths and women leaders from the oil producing communities and representatives of the oil companies at the Government House, Owerri.
Okorocha had earlier cancelled all Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the leaders of the communities and the firms following agitations from the hosts that the oil companies and some of their leaders were collaborating under such agreements to shortchange them, which they also said was the major reason for the crisis in the areas.
In the Joint Negotiation Committee, each of the host communities will nominate three persons, while the government will have three members in the committee. The oil companies would nominate two members each, while the Police, Army, State Security Services (SSS) and Civil Defence Corps will bring one member each, according to a statement by Sam Onwuemeodo, the chief press secretary of the government.
Onwuemeodo stated that the Joint Negotiation Committee would determine the role of the oil companies in the development of the concerned communities, stressing, “The essence is to ensure lasting peace in the communities and conducive atmosphere for the oil companies to operate.”
Besides, the governor had commended the youths of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta for their cooperation so far, and said that “even one million barrels of oil could not worth the blood of one person in the oil producing areas.”
The first meeting of the Joint Negotiation Committee will take hold on January 10, 2017 and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Kingsley Uju, was asked to Coordinate it.
