A contractor handling a pipeline construction project for SEPLAT Energy, Hon. Moses Ogodo, has described as completely false and misleading a viral report accusing him of marginalizing a host community in the distribution of employment slots.
Ogodo, a well-known political figure from the Okpe ethnic group in Delta State, refuted the claims made in an online publication by Sapele Olofofo Ungbragada, which alleged that he violated an agreement by allocating jobs solely to his kinsmen while excluding Itsekiri youths from Abigborodo community.
“I want to make it very clear that the report circulating against me is entirely false, malicious, and lacks any factual basis. I have never at any time reached an agreement with the Abigborodo community regarding employment. The story being peddled is not only misleading but also intended to tarnish my image,” Ogodo stated.
The pipeline project, currently underway at Oton community in Sapele, Delta State, has been thrown into chaos following attacks on the construction site, where heavy-duty machinery belonging to Ogodo and another company, H & W, were destroyed and set ablaze.
Narrating the incident, Ogodo said, “On the evening of the incident, the Area Commander and the Sapele DPO visited the site after we raised security concerns. But by the following morning, when my workers got back to the site, they found one of our welding machines and an excavator had been burnt. Two other welding machines, which have tyres, were also stolen.”
He put the total value of the destroyed and stolen equipment at over N800 million, describing the loss as not only personal but a major setback to economic progress and investor confidence in the region.
According to Ogodo, the report that he breached employment terms is unfounded and contradicted by established protocol.
“It is not my responsibility as a contractor to handle community employment discussions. That responsibility lies with SEPLAT’s Community Relations department, which is headed by Pastor Sunday Okoloko. If any meeting ever took place with Abigborodo over employment, the records should be with him or SEPLAT. I was never called for any such engagement,” Ogodo explained.
He maintained that no individual or group from Abigborodo ever approached him for employment under the current project.
“I am a grassroot politician. I do not discriminate. If anyone from Abigborodo had reached out to me in good faith for job opportunities and was qualified, I would not have hesitated to engage them. But that never happened,” he insisted.
The online report had claimed that the project sparked protests from Abigborodo youths after Ogodo allegedly sidelined them in the allocation of jobs, contrary to a supposed agreement to ensure equity between Abigborodo and Oton communities.
Ogodo, however, argued that the entire narrative was concocted and designed to paint a false picture of deliberate exclusion, adding that even if tensions existed between Sapele Okpe and Abigborodo over land or political interests, he remained committed to inclusive development.
“Even if there are boundary disputes or political differences, I will never reject anyone willing to work simply because they are from another ethnic group. That’s not the kind of leader I am,” he said.
He also called on the leadership of the Sapele Okpe Community to take urgent steps to secure the area and prevent future attacks, warning that continued destruction of investments would scare away contractors and stall development.
“This incident should concern all stakeholders. We cannot continue like this. Over N800 million worth of equipment has been lost. I have reported the matter to both the Police and the DSS, and my lawyers have also been directed to take legal steps,” Ogodo added.
Efforts to get SEPLAT Energy’s official response to the incident were ongoing at the time of this report. However, sources close to the company hinted that a fresh round of dialogue involving all affected communities and stakeholders is expected in the coming days to calm tensions.
In the meantime, security has been beefed up around the Oton construction corridor to protect workers and prevent a recurrence.
