Ugborodo Community in Warri South-West LGA of Delta State has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) and other International Oil Companies ( IOCs) operating in the area.
The IOCs are to initiate immediate action to address their communities‘ existential plights, such as the eroding effects of ocean surges, the lack of portable drinking water, gross unemployment, and others.
Addressing a press conference at the Community traditional headquarters at Ode-Ugborodo, Escravos at a tripartite gathering made up of members of the elders council, women and youths especially the mammoth crowd of indigenes from the five communities that make up Ugborodo, they stated that as the highest producer of oil and gas resources in Nigeria and Delta state in particular, they have not adequately benefited from the federal government, the state government and even local government despite the huge revenue generated from their God- given land.
Specifically, they said that Chevron and SPDC, now bearing a new name, Renaissance, NPDC, Seplat, NGIC, NPSPL, Mobil Offshore, and others, do not have up to 2 per cent of Itsekiris or even Ugborodo indigenes as staff. At the same time, they have employed other Nigerians to come and work on their land for all these years. They said this gross marginalisation has to stop now.
Addressing newsmen at his residence, the Eghare-aja (Head of the Ugborodo Community), made up of Ode-Ugborodo, Ajudiabo, Ogidigben, Madangho, and Ijahala, Pa. Daniel Uwawah said, “It is excruciating to know that Chevron employs other Nigerians daily who come to work at Ugborodo without employing our massive qualified youths or other Itsekiri persons” despite his several letters.
Therefore, he appealed to the federal and state governments to call Chevron and the IOCs to order before things get out of hand.
However, at the press conference and in the statement read at the Community Town Hall by the Secretary, Mr Kiki, the tripartite group stated that the time for rhetoric is gone, and it is time for action.
“Let it be on record that failure of these IOCs, NUPRC and other relevant government agencies to act within a reasonable time frame of 7 days will leave us with no other option but to put a complete stop to all their operations within our communities until they do the needful”.
They expressed regret that they have bluntly refused to incorporate and start operating the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) of the PIA for both the onshore, Offshore and Deep offshore, stating that they shall no longer take this degree of disrespect from them in Ugborodo land.
The tripartite conference unanimously agreed that there are no more factional groups in the community, even as they further disowned a purported Ugborodo Community Trust Committee set up last week in Warri South LGA as lacking the Community‘s traditional authority to inaugurate such a body.
They called on the state Governor to call some of his aides bent on causing disunity, disharmony, and unwarranted crisis in Ugborodo to order, as they have resolved to unite for the positive growth and development of the entire community.
