Govt Intervenes In Olomoro, Shell Disagreement’

BY HENRY ERUEME

THE Delta State Government has intervened in the disagreement between Olomoro Community and Farewell Nigeria Limited, a contractor to Shell Petroleum Company, over alleged replacement of indigenous workers in the company with outsiders.
President-General of Olomoro Development Union (ODU), Chief Friday Awodita, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent in his country home at Olomoro.
Awodita recalled that during the crisis, the community shut down a Shell flow station hosted by it for eight days following alleged refusal by the contractor to absorb the new workers in the community.
“The state Deputy Governor, Amos Utuama, called and pleaded that we should open the flow station promising to look into the issue and settle it amicably,” he said.
Speaking further, Awodita said that there was a provision in the constitution of Olomoro community for slot rotation among the people whenever there is a new contractor handling jobs in the community.
One of the embattled workers, Mr. Andrew Amaza, dismissed the claim that there is a provision in the community’s constitution for workers to be dismissed by their employers at the completion of their contract.
In the same vein, another indigene of the community who pleaded anonymity quoted section 118 (5) as the basis of action for the embattled workers to reckon with.
He advised the workers to leave the work so that others can benefit from it as they have worked for a period of nine years without interruption.