Système de gestion des plaintes

Accusations against OOPC have been investigated and further clarifications and documents have been shared by OOPC. Socfin thus concludes that these accusations are unfounded based on the clarifications which are reported below for each of the points under review.

– The community hasn’t been included in the board of OOPC because they are settlers:
The process of selection of board members follows the OOPC Board Charter (Section 5) as prescribed by the Code of Corporate Governance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
No discrimination criteria towards local communities or settlers are included in this process. One of the criteria clarifies that only shareholders have the right to elect board members.
The processes used in relation to all Board appointments are available in the company’s annual report, as required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The company’s shareholders are drawn from a diversified spread of Nigerian and international individuals and institutions. The list of shareholders (more than 15,000) is available at Caridnalstone Ltd who are the registrar for OOPC. The registrar is required by law and their contact details are included on the company’s website as well as in the company’s annual report. The Company Secretary is also available at all times to guide any shareholder in this regard.
The company’s registrars are CardinalStone Ltd, 358 Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos; Tel: +234(1) 4405107.

– There is a discriminatory employment policy:
OOPC has included in its employment procedure (section 7, point 9) that:
 “OOPC shall endeavour to give the first right of employment to candidates within its neighbouring communities, especially where one candidate is not from a neighbouring community and the other candidate is, and where both candidates are equally qualified in all aspects for that vacancy. OOPC vacancy/vacancies will be placed on the community notice board and the community CDA will provide OOPC with, what they deem to be, suitably qualified candidates for these job vacancy/vacancies.”

Currently OOPC’s permanent staff counts 10 employees from the Ijaw community out of which 2 were honoured in 2017 with long service awards for being with the company for 25 years.
We invite anyone to contact us through our grievance management mechanism if discrimination in a precise case of recruitment has been observed.

– No visit to this Ijaw host community:
OOPC’s community liaison officer (CLO) is required to visit Okomu Ijaw community, residing at Okomu Town, on a quarterly base, except in exceptional circumstances, such as insecurity issues, which has occurred over the past few years within the Okomu community and its surrounds (in 2015 and 2017).
The last visit to the Okomu Ijaw community took place on the 27th July 2018 as stated in the attached draft meeting minute and the next visit will be at the end of the 3rd quarter 2018.

– Admin HQ of Ovia SW Local Government has influenced the change of the name of OOPC to include “settlements of Udo”:
OOPC doesn’t include “settlements of Udo” in its name, it is part of its official address as you can find it on the annual reports. “The Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC. Okomu – Udo, Ovia South West L.G.A., P.M.B. 1449, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.”

L’article a été enregistré et les accusations listées.
Suivant sa procédure de gestion des plaintes, Socfin a analysé les éléments car aucun élément factuel n’avait été communiqué.
Les recherches nécessaires pour entrer en contact avec ces parties prenantes et recueillir des éléments concrets, ont été menées.
Le journaliste de Camer.be et le RADD ont été contactés. Ceux-ci n’ont pas fourni d’information supplémentaire et ont suggéré de contacter la Synaparcam.
La Synaparcam a été contactée le 27/12/2017.
Localement, la Socapalm a également pris contact avec ses parties prenantes.
En date du 17/02/2018, la Synaparcam a transmis une liste non exhaustive de femmes ayant subi des abus.
Dès ce 26 février, la Socapalm va assurer l’analyse des éléments transmis.

L’article a été enregistré et, les faits analysés et listés. Socfin a collecté la documentation afférente. Un commentaire a été laissé sur le site internet, affirmant que les 20 000 ha avaient été rétrocédés au propriétaire légal (l’Etat camerounais) en 2005, et qu’il est du devoir de l’Etat camerounais de décider à qui les louer.

Suivant notre procédure de gestion des plaintes, Socfin a souhaité rentrer en contact avec le journaliste mais entre-temps l’article n’est plus présent sur Internet.

Socfin has investigated the facts listed as per its grievance management procedure.
Here is the update that allows to close this grievance :
In 2017 an NGO called ERA/FoEN alleged that Okomu was illegally on property which was revoked by the Government. This apparent revocation was not in the name of Okomu, it was unsigned and there was no gazette that went through the House of Assembly ratifying it. In March 2018 the Governor of Edo State came to commission Extension Two of Okomu Oil Palm Company. We attach the three Certificates of Occupancy of OOPC and their respective maps.

Okomu – Certificate of occupancy – Main Estate

Okomu – Certificate of occupancy – Extension 1

Okomu – Certificate of occupancy – Extension 2

Okomu maps