Communities form an integral part of our operations and arising from agitation in the region, the need to cater for them and carry them along in our operations is a priority to us at Dubri Oil. The host and impact communities that our operations directly impact on, are taken care of on a day to day basis to ensure peace within our areas of operations.
WHO THE COMMUNITIES ARE
Two communities, Ughoton and Gelegele, in Ovia North East Local Area are the two host communities within Dubri Oil OML 96 concession. In addition to the two host communities are impact communities. These are communities where we do not have operations or oil wells, but have an impact by traversing through them ourselves or by our contractors on land or on water.
However, in order to ensure good community relations, some recognition is given to them.
GELEGELE COMMUNITY
Gelegele community is one of the host communities that benefits from the company corporate social responsibility projects as enumerated below:
Electricity
•Supply of electricity through generators provided by Dubri Oil.
Scholarship Award
•Certified indigenes of the community are given scholarships for secondary and university level education, on an annual basis.
Water
•The community is supplied water by the company from its borehole and water lines are extended to all parts of the community.
Health Care
•Built, renovates and maintains the Community Health Centre for the community.
. Drugs are also provided on a quarterly basis. These have been ongoing for 15years now.
UGHOTON COMMUNITY
The other host community is Ughoton Community, Ughoton Community also benefits from the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes.
Supply of electricity through generators provided by Dubri Oil.
Scholarship Award
Certified indigenes of the community are given scholarships for secondary to university levels education.
Health Care
•Built, renovates and maintains the Community Health Centre for the community.
Drugs are also provided on a quarterly basis. These have been ongoing for 15years now.
IMPACT COMMUNITIES
By the nature of Dubri Oil operations, delivery of crude at Escravos terminal is by barge, we sail from the Osse River on Benin River then into the Escravos Estuary. As a result some communities along this route are considered impact communities.
There are 63 such communities, who are Ijaw riverine communities 63. In order to operate peacefully without any rancor, we have recognized them as impact communities since 1999.
The Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes include:
• Regular quarterly meetings.
• Payment of quarterly developments funds
• Logistics Allowances
Provision of Transportation and others
Provision of Annual end of year gifts.
Similarly, the Binis through whose land communities we traverse claim that DOCL activities, impact on them. While we cannot see the impact we make by merely driving through villages, like any other traveler traversing a town such as passing through Ore to get to Benin, from Lagos. However, in order to ensure good neighborliness, some recognition is also given to them. The Bini impact communities are:
Oduna Ward
This is made of 17 communities; DOCL contributes to these communities in several ways as herein listed.
Award of scholarships on an annual basis.
Provision of drugs to the health care centre in the community on a quarterly basis.
Ikpako Community
Award of yearly scholarships to indigenes.
Providing drugs to health care center in the community.
General
To ensure that the communities ---host and impact, provide an atmosphere conducive for our company operations, all of them receive what DOCL calls “Good Behaviour Benefit” this is on a quarterly basis.
Any community that ensures uninterrupted company operations in any quarter receives this benefit, which is usually not in cash, but in kind i.e. invested in infrastructure etc., in addition to their quarterly benefits.
In addition, payment of monthly stipends are made to some elders in Gelegele and Ughoton communityies.
Economic Empowerment Scheme:
The company in 2010 established an economic empowerment scheme which is meant for the empowerment of youths within our areas of operations, to ensure the realization of the following objectives:
i. To support indigenes with skilled initiatives with a view to empowering them to be self-sustainable
ii. To provide funds for the development of persons recommended by the community in setting their vocation. These include:
Tailoring and Fashion Designing
Welding
Hair dressing
Motor Mechanic
Carpentry Works
And other vocations of interest
The scheme runs twice yearly with the four beneficiary communities providing 15 persons to be trained and empowered. Since the scheme was inaugurated in 2010, about 220 youths from the communities have either been empowered, or trained. The Ninth/Tenth batch is being planned for early 2019.
The community slots are:
• Ughoton - 10 persons yearly
• Gelegele - 10 persons yearly
• Odunaward - 6 persons yearly
• Ikpako - 4 persons yearly
In recent years, well over =N=55million has been spent by the company on the scheme. The scheme has a board of Trustees, chaired by Alhaji M.A. Abu a retired Permanent Secretary and other trustees drawn from government, the communities and Dubri Oil Company Limited.
Future:
In view of the complex ethnic mix of our area of operations and the need to ensure an enduring development zone, we propose the establishment of a “Development Zone” in conjunction with Government of Edo State. The said area will be the “locus” to site projects for the two host communities. This will be the focus of future growth to create employment and development for youths. Model primary and secondary schools, power station; “low and medium” enterprises can be sited here; as well as a modern “Cottage Hospital”. This will help eliminate duplication of projects and help accelerate development in the area. The Will to do this will be driven by both the company and the Edo State Government.
Also, Dubri Oil is in talks with some investors who want to install a power plant in the state, by providing gas to the said proposed power plant.
DUBRI’S ROLE/IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES
Through the Corporate Social Responsibility we have been able to:
Articulate new thinking amongst the people in encouraging them to provide a conducive and enabling environment to oil companies.
Communities/company now see themselves as partners
A number of projects have been initiated and completed as highlighted thus developing the Area.
Economic empowerment have been undertaken in the communities
Rural development now forms a new thinking for project development.
Employments of skilled and unskilled workers have been undertaken on projects.
Employment of professional expertise of persons with competences such, Barge & tug contractors, welders, security personnel amongst others.
High level of educational advancement, through both the scholarship and empowerment schemes.
