The Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Limited has been accused of ethnic cleansing in its operations in the Niger Delta region, a development that is fraught with potential for causing security crisis in a region that is already fragile.   

A Niger Delta group, Concerned Landlords of Swamp and Land Areas Operation of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Limited have come out to decry what they described as “ethnic cleansing” of people in the area by the company, stressing that if this continues, they will be left with no other option than self-help.

The Niger Delta group took this position during a Press Conference held at the Ernest Ikoli Press Center of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Thursday, December 3, 2020.

Director General of the Concerned Landlords of Swamp and Land Areas Operation of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, Onisoye Odum, while reading an open letter addressed to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike clarified that the outcry is coming on the heels of “systemic mechanism of ethnic subjugation put in place in Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited..”.

He stated that this move was “targeted at ensuring that the indigenes of Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States are no longer recruited in the company and even those working in the company are stagnated or relegated to the background by the Igbo dominated Management of the company”.

Odum enumerated some top management staffers including Richard Orianzi, Yakie Ogon, Aye Odibi, Ini Amiebi, Eudorah Israel, Margaret Nsikan-Tom, Amachree Isiobie, Theophilus Boufini and Jully Fah Fubara, as notable Niger-Delta indigenes who were victims of unjustified stagnation, or outright sack by Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) replacing them with people of Eastern origin.

The Igbos they were replaced with are: Callista Azogu, Uche Amaechi, Chidozie Okafor, Chinwe Njoku Uche Udemba, Chris Illodigwe, Suzan Ezepue, Lawrence Osakwe, Linus Nnakenyi, Mr Pius, Chidi Ibeabuchi, Boniface Nwachukwu, Chidera Muagba, and Azuka Eluchi.

The Director General added that the grand idea behind populating NAOC with Igbos was to make the company’s die hard resolve to support the course of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) much easier.

“Particularly, the millions of dollars being siphoned through huge operational contracts under this scheme might be used in sponsoring the activities of IPOB in the Niger Delta States. This if unchecked will continue to cause serious security breaches in the Niger Delta especially, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta where the company predominantly has its operations.”

According to Odum, the effect of suffocating Niger Deltans in NAOC could result in continuous unemployment, lack of conversion of Niger Deltans working in NAOC to permanent staff, and the alienation of Niger Deltans from partaking in contracts.

Odum, in company of other directors in the group including Savior Olali, Temple Sambo, Samuel Eugene James, Clinton Ijeoma, and Chukwuemeka Israel, called on Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to set up a Panel of Inquiry to investigate their claims or have them mobilize themselves to shut down operations at NAOC.