ExxonMobil, operators of NNPC/MPN Joint venture has disclosed that it has remitted over N67.5Billion to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) starting from its inception in 2001 till date (2021).
It could be recalled that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio had said the International Oil Companies were not paying their 3 per cent contributions to the interventionist agency.
But the Manager, Media and Communications, ExxonMobil, Ogechukwu Udeagha in an interaction with correspondents’ of national media houses in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital as part of activities to mark the correspondents’ recently said such assertion was not applicable to them as ExxonMobil has remitted over N6.5 Billion to NDDC in its 19 years of operation.
Speaking on the theme of the week “Post Covid-19- Economy and the Challenges to Ethical Journalism ahead of 2023 elections,” Udeagha said the company has not relented in giving its corporate social responsibility as shown in some of its social investments in the areas of its operations.
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On the allegation that the company is not paying taxes to Akwa Ibom State government, Udeagha said the employees pay up to N7 Billion to the State government every month as tax.
He said, “70 per cent of our staff live and work here in Akwa Ibom State and we pay about N7billion tax to the state government through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and of course the 13 per cent 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.”
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Udeagha warned that Nigeria would lose over 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings if crude oil fails adding, ‘so let’s make the most out of this resource while we still have time. Our crude oil reserves are in billions of barrels, so we need to tap them and use such revenue to add value to our economy.”
Meanwhile Mr Udeagha was accompanied to the chapel, by Manager, Public Affairs and Government Relations, Mr Effiong Esumo.
