His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, has condemned the recent attack on an oil pipeline belonging to Chevron at the Dibi-Olero-Abiteye trunk line and Flow Stations and called for calm.
A group which tagged itself as Niger Delta Liberation Movement (NDLM), had claimed responsibility for bursting several pipelines.
But reacting to the incident, the official sole representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison to NNPCL, Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, in a press statement, while absolving the Itsekiri from the attack, noted that their agitation for a better deal should not be associated with the action of the NDLM.
Edema said the Itsekiri would continue to engage in and explore peaceful processes to ensure that they are given a fair share in terms of employment and infrastructural development.
He said, “It has come to the knowledge of the Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison Officer to NNPCL and its JV partners that there is palpable air of disenchantment with Chevron Nigeria Limited over issues of employment of people of the host communities particularly in the three Warri ‘s of Warri South West, Warri North and Warri South, an advocacy, the office has actively been dragging with Chevron to accommodate Itsekiri people .
“We wish to condemn in the strongest terms the destruction of the pipeline belonging to Chevron by (NDLM).”
“The attack on Chevron pipeline Facilities is alien to the ideology of the struggle of the Itsekiri Nation to get a better deal for our people in terms of employment, infrastructure, and welfare.
“While His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri empathizes with Chevron over the recent attack on its pipelines in the Dibi-Olero-Abiteye trunk line and Flow Stations, it is
important to use this opportunity to appeal to our youths to remain calm as this office is actively engaging Chevron over unresolved unemployment issues.
“We understand that our youths are frustrated over the situation that portrays that Chevron is taking people from Host Communities for granted but such frustration cannot be allowed to
metamorphose into such lawless behavior as attacking critical assets by any of our people,” he said.
