Two Port Harcourt-based companies, ELC Oil and Gas Services and Chiefest Nigeria Limited, have threatened to protest over unpaid contracts worth over N1 billion. The firms claim they supplied petrol and diesel to OANDO Plc in 2024 but have not been paid. Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Chelsea Enebeli, CEO of ELC Oil and Gas Services, and Jerry Mmanwoke, managing director of Chiefest, said the non-payment has crippled operations and left staff unpaid for up to seven months. Enebeli revealed he underwent surgery last year, with his wife borrowing money to cover medical costs. He attributed the financial strain to OANDO's failure to settle invoices despite repeated requests. A letter dated April 2, 2026, addressed to OANDO Plc, demanded immediate payment of the outstanding sum. It warned that if payment was not made, legal action would follow or Enebeli would stage a protest at OANDO's Port Harcourt office with his family and unpaid staff. The companies said bank debts taken to fulfill the supply contracts have accrued high interest, worsening their financial distress.
Chelsea Enebeli, head of ELC Oil and Gas Services, standing with his family and unpaid workers outside an oil company's office, is not just a plea for payment—it is a public indictment of how indigenous firms are treated in Nigeria's oil sector. His personal story of borrowing for surgery and failing to pay staff for seven months lays bare the human cost of corporate payment delays, especially when smaller contractors depend on big firms like OANDO Plc to honor agreements.
The situation reflects a broader pattern in Nigeria's energy supply chain, where local contractors take on financial risk to deliver for multibillion-naira firms but are left stranded when payments stall. Enebeli borrowed from banks to supply PMS and diesel in 2024, betting on OANDO's credibility—only to watch interest pile up while invoices remain unsettled. The April 2, 2026 letter demanding payment shows the firms exhausted formal channels before threatening protest. This is not an isolated complaint; it mirrors experiences across the Niger Delta, where indigenous businesses often serve as lifelines in logistics but lack the leverage to enforce payment.
For small business owners and employees in Port Harcourt, this crisis means lost wages, medical hardship, and eroded trust in corporate Nigeria. Workers at ELC and Chiefest are not abstract casualties—they are families going months without income, relying on loans for survival. When contractors collapse, the ripple effect hits local economies hard.
This episode fits a recurring cycle: local firms enable operations for major oil players, face delayed payments, and are forced into public desperation to be heard. It underscores how fragile the ecosystem is for indigenous suppliers, no matter the official talk of inclusion.
