The management of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited has debunked the allegation of using military men to intimidate, main and kill residents of Igbomoturo community, describing such allegation as unfortunate and malicious.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited, Chief Levi Wilson and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital said its mandate is not to carry out military operation against oil thieves but to dissuade pipeline vandalism and crude oil bunkering activities, saying that the core mandate is to boost crude oil production for Agip and the Federal Government which will ultimately earn more revenue to Bayelsa State and Nigeria at large.
Wilson stated that the allegation of the involvement of management or staff of Darlon Oil and Gas in the military operation at Igbomotoru Community is not only false but a figment of the imagination of some sponsors of crude oil bunkering activities who would stop at nothing but to tarnish the image of our company and put us out of the way so that they can go about vandalizing crude oil facilities.
He warned those involved in a calculated attempts to tarnish the image of the company to desist forthwith, as the management of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited will not hesitate to take legal actions against the sponsors and actors of this unfortunate mudslinging campaign.
He stated that since Darlon Oil and Gas Limited started operations over the years which spans beyond Igbomotoru community, crude oil productivity has improved, which has in turn enabled NAOC to meet its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) obligations to host Communities.
The Chairman of Darlon Oil and Gas further stated that its operations has ensured that the environment is protected, making sure that residents amongst host communities have access to quality farming and fishing activities deviod of pollutants for high yielding harvest, adding that the company expected host communities to commend efforts, and not to accuse Darlon of any wrongdoing and sponsoring military operation, which we have no form of influence and control over.
Wilson therefore enjoined membets of the public to disregard the unsubstantiated media campaign and attribution of the activities of the military at Igbomoturo community to Darlon Oil and Gas Limited and Chief David Lyon in particular for being frivolous and fraudulent.
The statement reads in part” the attention of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited has been drawn to constant media trial where the likes of Chief Bello Simon Godei, Chief Ayebanimiyun A. Joel, Chief Jeremiah Young, Chief Clinton Nimikongha, Chief Vote Tariladei and Chief Paul Authority have consistently accused our management of being involved in a recent military operation in Igbomotoru Communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
” As a registered and responsible oil and gas company saddled with the responsibility to discourage pipeline vandalism and crude oil bunkering activities, we find the repeated accusation that our management is involved in the stationing of a military base in Igbomotoru Communities to intimidate, maim and kill residents of the community as rather unfortunate and malicious.
” Our legal team is carefully studying the press release circulated to media outfits across the country by Chief Bello Simon Godei, Chief Ayebanimiyun A. Joel, Chief Jeremiah Young, Chief Clinton I. Nimikongha, Chief Vote Tariladei and Chief Paul Authority, and would come up with the position of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited on the allegations very soon,”
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