The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has waded into the dispute between Chevron Nigeria Limited and some communities within the company’s Warri exploration and production area, in Delta State, over the composition and naming of the Host Communities Trust Fund.

Both parties in the dispute have been urged to maintain the peace pending the resolution of the matter.

The dispute between Chevron and the Ugbororo, Ugbegugun and Denbele communities in Warri South Local Government of the state on the other is over the naming of the host community trust fund established for the communities and the composition of its Board of Trustees. People from the three communities were reported to have staged a protest in the Escravos Terminal area, accusing Chevron of going against the Petroleum Industry Act (2021).

At a meeting between the feuding parties on Tuesday at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, the Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Engr Gbenga Komolafe, urged them to maintain the status quo and ensure peace reigned in the operational area as the regulator was determined to ensure that the fit and proper thing is done immediately.

Having listened to the submissions of the parties, Engr Komolafe, issued a regulatory position and directed Chevron on the resolution of the matter which must be implemented within two weeks. He emphasised that the law which was very explicit on the matter in contention must be obeyed by all the parties concerned.

Egr. Komolafe said that Chevron failed to delineate HCDT in line with the definition of PIA and HOSTCOM regulations but opted to delve into the issue of culture and tradition. He pointed out that culture and law are often mutually exclusive as the definition of host community in the PIA bears no reference to culture nor tradition but purely limited to communities hosting oil facilities and not chieftaincy and kingdoms.

Among other directives, the CCE called for the immediate convening of consultation meetings with the communities on the proper delineation and naming of the Fund in compliance with the PIA and the re-composition of the Board of Trustees in line with an earlier directive of the Commission. The process which must be supervised by the Commission’s Warri Regional Office is expected to be finalised and the report sent to the Commission within two weeks.