By Ese Adagbra, Warri
Contracting Firms working with Shell Development Company (SPDC) under the aegis of Right Way Surveillance Forum has given the oil giant two weeks ultimatum to relocate from Port-Harcourt to Warri or they would withdraw their services to the company.
Rising from its meeting in Warri, the President of the contractors forum, Chief Alfred Biukeme who briefed the press on some of the decisions reached at the meeting also said that the two weeks ultimatum given to the oil giants also cover ultimatum in the increase of the salary of surveillance guards from 22,000 to 150,000, adding that it is proper that surveillance guards salary is increased as they cannot be treated as slaves in their own country.
The Forum also advised DAEWOO and SAIPEM Nigeria Limited also not to play any form of prank by neglecting host indigenous contractors with regard to new gas project which would commence soon in the southern swamp, warning that if they fail to take us along they would certainly run into trouble waters in the course of their operations.
Biukeme called on SPDC to investigate its community liaison officers, because according to him a lot of the CLO’s are using their private companies to do some of the jobs meant for host and indigenous contractors thereby depriving the owners of the oil access to their God given wealth.
“I am prepare to give evidence when such panel is set up by SHELL. I challenge the CLO’s to prove me wrong. I am calling on SHELL to investigate this allegation or else it’s going to cause crisis between the host/indigenous contractors and SHELL,” he warned.