Niger Delta: Ogulagha youths accuse oil company of neglect 

…On CSR, we’ve done our best for them- CEO, Brittania-U  

Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, an oil prospecting company in the Niger Delta has been accused by the Ogulagha youths of malicious neglect of the indigenes of its operational base, the Ogulagha Kingdom, an Ijaw community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

The youth body stated this in a statement by the group’s General Secretary, Dose Miyenkiriya in Warri Delta state.

According to the release, Ogulagha Kingdom is an Ijaw Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State and function as the operational base to Brittania-U Nigeria Limited offshore OML 90 Ajapa Field, but very regrettably, the community has nothing to show for this relationship as the oil prospecting firm neither carries out its corporate responsibilities to the community nor adhere to the international best practice in its operations thereby making the relationship asymmetrical and parasitic.

The group further used the opportunity to disassociate itself from a purported claim by a faceless group where they among other things claimed that Brittania-U has given immerse support; financial contributions, transforming lives in the community.

To support their position, the youth organization pointed out that from inception in 2009 till date, not even one single individual has been engaged in vocational training in welding, marine diving, fork lifting operations, small/medium enterprises (SMEs) or building of housing units for the elderly as claimed.

Continuing, the Ogulagha youths, therefore, called on the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to compel Brittania-U to honour the Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) signed with the Kingdom and also release proceeds of Ogulagha Kingdom’s one million share capital for infrastructural development of the Kingdom.

However, in a telephone interview with GbaramatuVoice, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Catherine Uju Ifejuka, dismissed the above claims with a wave of hands.

In her defense, she explained that her organization has done meritoriously well in the provision of employment to the youths in the community, maintenance of efficient scholarship scheme, skills development. All these she claimed the organization has done and the evidence is there for critical minds to see.