Aggrieved Itsekiri RDC Contractors give Chevron 72hrs Ultimatum, say, “We won’t die for jobs executed since July”

Contractors from the 23 Communities in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North Local Government Areas in Delta State, executing jobs for the Chevron-established Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC, have given the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, 72hrs effective Wednesday December 6, to release money to the leadership of IRDC to pay them for jobs executed or face disruption of the company’s operations in Itsekiri communities.

Recall that the contractors had on Monday April 24, 2023 handed down similar threat in a communique, after an emergency meeting held in Warri, wherein they highlighted how many of them used their houses, cars and landed properties as collateral, to secure loans from banks and money lenders, to enable them execute the jobs awarded to them by the leadership of IRDC.

In the said communique cum ultimatum, made available to Fresh Angle International, Monday April 24, the upset contractors, noted: “We are giving Chevron seven days ultimatum to immediately do everything necessary to pay us or risk shutting down their facilities, since they enjoy subjecting community contractors to untold hardship. We are also demanding an immediate upward review of the contract value, due to the variation caused by inflation and delay in payments, as stipulated in the contract terms.”

In the fresh 72hrs ultimatum issued yesterday and made available to This Newspaper, Thursday December 7, the community contractors in their correspondent signed by Paul Moju and Mr. James Odume, Chairman and Secretary, respectively, warned the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL: “This isn't business as usual; we shall mobilize all CEOs and ensure the business activities of Chevron are crumbled, pending when we start receiving credit alert for the jobs we have executed.

“We are also using this medium to notify Chevron to urgently look into the applications written for an upward review, due to price variation caused by the delay of not paying the milestones as stipulated in the contract.

“In an emergency meeting we held yesterday, December 6, 2023, we resolved to condemn the deliberate attempt to frustrate our businesses, because it's community based. We vowed to confront Chevron within the next few days to get our money. The meeting became imperative, following the refusal of Chevron to call for a meeting of Community Engagement Management Board, CEMB, after a team of engineers, carried out inspection of the projects we executed in our various communities. Chevron had claimed that completion of the projects had to be ascertained, before payment would be made and it has been confirmed that the projects are completed to specification.

“Chevron has refused to call for a meeting of CEMB, owing to their plot of continually using the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA as excuse. This same Act, was established since August 2022.”

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