Multinational oil company, ExxonMobil based in Mkpanak in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, has said that it contributed N67.5 billion to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in the past 19 years.
The Manager, Media and Communications in ExxonMobil, Mr Ogechukwu Udeagha, stated this in an interactive session with newsmen in Uyo, on Tuesday.
“Our affiliate companies’ total statutory contributions, since 2001 to June 2020, to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is N67,547,369,066,” Udegha said.
He said that ExxonMobil affiliates contributed significant value to the Nigerian economy.
“Our operations account for a substantial portion of the country’s crude oil production volumes. In the last 10 years alone, our affiliates contributed over N130 billion dollars in revenues to the Federal Government.
“This comprises direct taxes and royalties, plus the NNPC share of profits from ExxonMobil affiliates operated ventures,” Udeagha said.
He added that the company had earmarked N600 million for the building of an Intensive Care unit (ICU) in Eket, that was already ongoing.
Udeagha also said the company has not shirked in its Corporate Social Responsibility as evident in some of its social investments in the areas of its operations, describing as an irony the fact that the people of the region were “asking the international oil companies (OICs) to do the work that NDDC is supposed to do.
“70 percent of our staff live and work here in the state and we pay about N7 billion to the state government through PAYE and of course the 13 percent derivation.
“You can, therefore, realize the impact we are making on the state’s economy. We are closely linked with the state government and it’s important that we work together,” he said.
On the allegedly sack of contract staff, he said the multinational company does not have any business with third parties.
“We keep our contractors’ obligations and by law, we cannot sack contract staff because they are not our staff. They are not under our purview.
“We didn’t sack any contract staff or employees,” Udeagha said.
