The Rivers State House of Assembly has cautioned oil companies operating in the state to stay away from community and chieftaincy tussles.
The house, in a report submitted by the committee on public complaints and petitions advised the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, NDPR, an indigenous oil company, to create employment, develop skills, and promote scholarship schemes rather than get involved in chieftaincy tussles.
“The NDPR should accommodate capable indigenous servicing companies and suppliers, engage in outright scholarship against the bursary scheme, provide employment for both skilled and unskilled labour, involve the communities in project selection process and stay away from chieftaincy or host community leadership tussle” the report read.
The report was consequence upon a petition brought by some host communities (Ogbele, Obumeze, Oshiugbokor) in Ahoada East Local Government Area accusing the NDPR of neglect, insensitivity and absence of a functional memorandum of understanding MOU.
The chairman of the committee, Hon Evans Bipi, who read the committee’s report at plenary, among other recommendations urged the NDPR to immediately establish a new Global Memorandum of Understanding that would define the character and type of community development projects suitable for the communities ranging from education, employment, health, roads and town halls.
However, debate on the report was deferred to a later sitting day.
