Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says his administration is committed to ensuring that corporate organizations, especially, oil and gas sector operators doing business in the State were in harmonious relationship with their host communities.

Wike said this in Port Harcourt during a peace meeting between Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Company, operators of Oil Mining License (OML) 54 and its host communities, Ogbehe, Obumeze and Ugbokor, all in Ahoada-East Local Government Area, and Otari Community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, the Governor emphasized that the State Government, as a mediator in conflicts affecting oil exploration companies and their host communities, was focused on ensuring peaceful working relations that would propel community development across the State.

According to a statement by the Media aide to the SSG, Julie Masi, the Governor stated that most community based crisis that organizations experience can be averted if they involved the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs in their dealings with host communities.

He further reiterated the need for companies to abide by the government memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed with their respective host communities in the course of carrying out their commercial activities.

According to the Governor, corporations, which are able to abide by signed GMoUs stand to experience less friction as most host communities want a fair share of their corporate social responsibility.

”We don’t like when host communities are distressed neither do we like operating companies disturbed,” he said.

He advised companies to desist from using force because community misunderstanding cannot be handled with harassment. 

The closed door meeting was attended by the lawmaker representing Abua/Odual Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Solomon Sokolo, representatives of NDPR led by its Manager, Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE), Walter Tom-George, Chiefs, youths and opinion leaders of both communities, and the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, and Special Services Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Government is also mediating in the face-off between Prime Exploration and Production Ltd and Asarama community in Andoni LGA.