Ijaw Youths Trade Tackles Over Ocean Marine Services Communities’ Job Slots

Two mainstream  rival groups within the Ijaw host communities  operating in the Niger Delta region that play host to the Management of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMS)  have  engaged themselves in war of words  over pipeline surveillance job slots along Pipeline Right of Way (PRoW) in the Warri/Escravos and Forcados rivers of the Niger Delta.

One of the youths’ groups alleged that OMS gives out pipeline surveillance jobs meant for the locals to outsiders and sidelines the community people who bear the brunt of oil exploration activities in the creeks. However, another group insists that OMS is committed to the interest of host communities , stressing that the allegations are mere tissues of lies being sponsored by some interest groups in an attempt to blackmail the management of OMS.

OMS, is a leading asset company with proven integrity which prides itself as dedicated to protecting the country’s resources from graft and illegal activities as well as handles the surveillance of Trans Forcados Pipeline, (TFP) with utmost commitment and patriotism.

The TFP is a vital piece of Nigeria’s national infrastructure capable of transporting 200,000 to 240,000 barrels of oil per day equivalent to 14 per cent of Nigeria’s daily production.

It is the key to transporting crude oil from some of Nigeria’s largest and most prolific assets and therefore, of fundamental national  importance. OMS is also responsible for  the surveillance of the Escravos-Warri crude pipeline. Escravos terminal is the heart beat of the downstream sector and critical to local supply of finished petroleum products in the country.

Finding indicate that both Warri and Kaduna refineries were being fed from Escravos crude stock. The New Diplomat gathered that over 30 youths groups in the Ijaw speaking area of the Niger Delta had signed a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged “activities of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited in the Warri Escravos and Forcados (Burutu).”

The groups allegedly decried the actions by OMS in the area in a joint statement signed by Hon. Bullet Otuaro; Youth President Warri South West LGA, Comrade Mandela  Bomini; Youth President Burutu LGA and Odimodi Community, Akin Edisemi Disi; Youth President Gbaramatu Kingdom, Shadrach Onitsha Ebikeme; Youth President Iduwini Kingdom, Nelson Andrew; Youth President Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Ogbona Bibo; Youth President, Diebiri Kingdom, Godwin Yokiri; Youth President, Benikrukru, Comrade Imoun M. Emomotimi; and Youth President Okerenkoko Federated Community Ebikebina Raymond Ekpemupolo among others.

“We are also informing the Government of Delta State, the  Minister for Petroleum and the  Minister for Environment that the peaceful youths of Warri Escravos and Forcados have kept to their promise of maintaining peace in the creeks  despite the fact that Captain Hosa Okunbor and his Management in OMS have been sidelining the youths in the PRoW job slots since 2017 the contract was awarded to OMS, but we are ready to use all means to get our job slots in no distance time.”

These Ijaw youth groups allege that their call for the investigation of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited operations in the Niger Delta became imperative because OMS, had overtime deliberately ignored calls by the leadership of the Central Youth Body, Kingdoms and Sub communities in Warri Escravos and Forcados for a dialogue and peaceful resolutions of their demands.

However, repeated  efforts to reach the management of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited for comments were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report. However, rising in defence of OMS is another coalition of Ijaw youths which insists that the so-called “Central Youth Bodies”  are merely engaging in acts of blackmail against OMS as the company has been very efficient, competent and productive in stopping illegal bunkering and carrying the host communities along in its operations.

The coalition of youth stated that a body that goes by the name “Egbema Youth Network” in the Escravos and Forcados axis in Warri South West and Burutu LGAs of Delta State operating under the auspices of “Central Youth Bodies”, have been in the forefront of “attacks” against operations of Ocean Marine Solution purely from the standpoint of blackmail and unfounded allegations.

“As youths of Ijaw host communities to the surveillance operations of OMS Solutions owned by Capt. Okunbor Hosea, we wish to clearly dissociate the youths of the host communities and our communities from the cheap blackmail and unfounded allegations by the so call Egbema Youth Network and the Escravos and Forcados Central Communities Youth bodies,” a statement signed by Prince Igbiriki, National Coordinator and Comrade Kenneth Nadifa, Secretary of the groups said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that the Egbema Youth Network and the Central Youth Bodies of Escravos and Forcados do not have the authority to speak for the host communities. The Ijaw host communities to OMS surveillance operations in the transforcados trunkline, the Escravos trunkline and in the Egbema axis of Warri North are working in harmony with OMS. It is on record that since OMS took over, the rate of destruction to the aforementioned facilities has drastically reduced through the cooperation of the host communities and the management of OMS.

“It is also on record that all the key staff of OMS both at the management and field level are from Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko and Itsekiri communities hosting the facilities. Therefore the call for the contract to be given to an indigene of the host communities is baseless. We the host communities to OMS are very comfortable with the management of OMS. The youths protesting against OMS are being sponsored by those who are not comfortable with OMS war against illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalization in Delta State.

“However, we are fully in support of OMS and the war against illegal bunkering and destruction of our communities must be stopped for the benefit of future generations.

“Consequently, we call on President Buhari, Minister of State, Petroleum, Timipre Slyva and the NNPC/NPDC to completely disregard the protest by the so call Egbema Youth Network and the Escravos and Forcados Central Youth Bodies. We the youths of the OMS host communities are comfortable and ready to continue our partnership with OMS Solutions to safeguard the nation’s critical economic assets.”

The OMS company  led by Capt Idahosa Okunbo as chairman and majority shareholder is said to have over 3,000 work force in the Niger Delta community.