Mobil Nigeria approaches Rivers with fresh lockdown waiver request

EXXONMOBIL NIGERIA AFFILI ATE, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) Unlimited, has approached Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, with a fresh request for waiver to enable it move men and materials into its mainly offshore oil facilities in the state. The waiver follows from the governor’s recent total lockdown order on Port Harcourt, the state capital, in a bid to curtail the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the state.

The American oil company affiliate, acting in tow with its French competitor, Total E&P, came on the waiver request visit to the governor with new set of donations. This time it came with RNA COVID-19 testing kits and hospital beds, to assist the governor in his fight against the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the state.

Udobong Ntia, Mobil’s executive director, led some key staff of the oil company to Governor Wike, to lay their waiver request and make donations.

Our correspondent could not confirm the governor’s approval of the request by the time of filing in the report, as Governor Wike came down heavily on the company and its competitors with an accusation that they were guilty of “spreading COVID-19 in the state. Latest reports say the state has at least 53 cases of the virus.

He alleged that 60 percent of coronavirus cases recorded in the state were from oil workers returning from rigs.

He said it is for the reason of preventing the spread of the virus in the state that the government had insisted that oil workers coming into the state must be tested to confirm their coronavirus status.

Oil remains the main stay of the economy of Rivers and that of Nigeria.

The state government’s actions were not targeted at anybody or organisation, Governor Wike said.

He recalled that recently the Nigeria Airforce Base, Port Harcourt had quarantined 14 oil workers with three of them testing positive to the virus.

“It’s not in anybody’s interest to deny people to carry out their official duties. Oil is the main stay of the economy of Nigeria; and without it we that are in this part of the country will find it difficult to function. My concern is that companies should always notify government of workers they are bringing into the state, so that our health officials can monitor them,” the governor said.

He debunked opinions that the state was stifling the oil industry through draconian policies.

Ntia assured Governor Wike that Mobil Producing Nigeria was committed to providing safety and good health.

Governor Wike then commended the company for its support to the state in its fight against COVID 19.

Ntia said the governor was doing well with its COVID-19 measures, described by not a few, to be outlandishly hurtful to citizens and the state’s $25 billion economy.