OML 42: Oil Merchant Obiejesi Accused of Impoverishing Oil Host Communities In Delta

Following acute poverty and underdevelopment of oil communities by oil giants in Niger Delta region, Communities of OML 42, have accused an oil merchant Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi of Nestoil, a business man who allegedly developed high taste for expensive luxury from vintage cars to private jets of impoverishing and under-developing host communities of OML 42 in Delta state.

It was learnt that the oil merchant is heartless and finds joy in impoverishing thousands of Ijaw people in Delta State where he owed so many contractors both indigenous and non-indigenous in the said operational areas.

According to report, “The Nigerian federal government from the time of former President Goodluk Jonathan till date has made griveous errors to allow one man seat on trillion made from Oml 42 where he distributes poverty among residents of oil communities in Delta state and that the government must not continue with such an economic injustice.

Consequently, the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI had vowed to rise against such an injustice, demanding withdrawal of all the licences of the nestoil and other subsidiary companies operated by Ernest Azudialu-Obiejes in Niger Delta region.

The report narrated, “Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi has recently increased his fleet to accommodate an additional gulf stream, thereby bringing the number of his private jets to four. The new Gulfstream G-700 was acquired at a whopping cost of N60 billion while the communities, workers and contractors have been impoverished and shutting down operations in OML 42.

“He seems not to border because he hopes to get free money from NNPCL through his other companies that operate fraudulently, defrauding the region and the government.

“If Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi puts forward a pretentious front to suggest that he doesn’t make trillions from the oil business he has enjoyed in the Niger Delta, particularly Ijaw Lands, Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State where he operated a company called Neconde Energy Limited, managing the OML 42, then he is ungrateful and the region will fight him. His continuous operations with his numerous companies are an invitation to crises.

“The billionaire Earnest of Nest oil is also the owner of Dove Shipping Company Limited. The company has been shipping crude from Ekeremor, Bayelsa State to one of the OML 42 communities, barging/evacuating, loading and transporting crude from loading point for over 6years which one of his numerous companies is paid monthly even when they are not lifting anything.

“The contract worth is $11millon dollars per month, there is no employment or contracts or benefits to the host communities where these operations are ongoing.”

It was gathered that some months ago, that NPDC had also battled one of Ernest’s companies, Neconde Energy to stop the operation of this fraudulent contract on White Dove Shipping Company on the ground that NNPCL cannot be paying so much for surveillance security contracts for OMS, Tantita and others yet paying this much for crude shipping while the crude pipelines are safe and fully operational.

Besides, there is a report that Neconde, White Dove Shipping Company is not declaring the exact worth of crude it ships through the Ekeremor oil barging lifting.

“How can Neconde a 45% stakeholder in the Oml 42 asset, be using his own companies Amarata, Nestoil, Impac Oil and Gas, Jonecreek hydrocarbon, B&Q Dredging, White Dove Shipping Company, among others to execute most of the key contracts across the asset, while its management hijacked host community contracts for themselves.

“Dr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, Group Managing Director of Nestoil, is not appreciating Ijaw land, Oml 42 communities that was reported to have transformed his humble beginnings from his poor trading business,” he added.