Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry have demanded for the relocation of the headquarters of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) from Yenagoa, Bayelsa, to ensure safety of life of employees of the Board and personnel of operating and service companies who visit the Board to process Nigerian Content approvals.
They expressed dismay that despite all the good work the Board is doing as one of the most active government agencies, the operations of the Board is frequently truncated by incessant protests by various protesters with ridiculous demands.
“It is curious that in one breath the State government wants oil and gas companies to relocate to Bayelsa, yet the actions of the locals tend to incite fear and scare to investors,” they argued.
The latest call for relocation of NCDMB from Yebagoa is led by a group of Concerned Indigenous Service Companies who are bitter about spate of insecurity and frequency of protests by different groups in Yenaoga.
They noted that insecurity is a major element of high cost of oil production at a time that the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Slyva is leading campaign for cost reduction, below $20 per barrel to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness.
Managing Director Standard Oil Field Services Limited, Mr Chizim Andrew in an exclusive interview with Nigerian NewsDirect, reacting to the plan by Senate to compel relocation of oil companies headquarters to host communities to Niger/Delta urged Federal lawmakers to stop the bill by Senator Bassey as the purposes will not be realizable. He noted that the decision “must be supported by sound commercial and economic consideration,” not by fiat.
According to him, “We are fed up with the incessant violent protests and disruption of work by various Bayelsa host communities,” he lamented.
Chizim enjoined the state government and traditional rulers to call out the groups leading the disturbances against NCDMB operation in Yenagoa.
In a related development, another captain of the industry who preferred to speak anonymously also complained bitterly about the harassment of protesting communities at NCDMB Head Office. He suggested immediate relocation of NCDMB to safeguard lifeof oil workers and investors.
“If the Federal government truly care for oil and gas workers, the National Assembly will not wait for the death of NCDMB Staff or contractor before granting approval for NCDMB relocation to a peaceful location,” he noted.