The people of Ugborodo in Warri South West have disassociated the community from Tuesday’s protest against Chevron Nigeria Limited over perceived non-implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and other demands.
Chairman of Ugborodo Community Trust, Barrister Austin Oborogbeyi in a statement said the protest led by Chief Ereyitomi Thomas and Ryda Jaffal Mohamed (JAD), was to protect their entrenched fraudulent arrangements in depriving and appropriating to themselves what rightfully belongs to the people of Ugborodo and urged the public to disregard the protest.
The statement titled “Leave Ugborodo people alone” followed the press conference by Alex Eyengbo which revealed the motive of the protesters and stressed that the issue of the PIA had been laid to rest.
Parts of the statement read; “We are surprised that the issue of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has been laid to rest after this same group staged a five-day disruptive protest at the Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited Otumara Flow Station in August 2023.
“This disruptive protest led to meetings with the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in Abuja where these serial protesters were told in straightforward language that the processes in constituting the structures of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) were concluded exercises with only the window for expansion of the membership of the Host Communities Development Trust Board of Trustees from seven to nine, to the satisfaction of Ugborodo people.
“Therefore, the PIA issue cannot be, and indeed, it is not the reason for conscripting Ugborodo people to stage the recent misconceived and disruptive protest.
“We make bold to state that this misconceived protest is now exposed and confirmed by the protesters themselves to be for the selfish personal interest of the sponsors, the self- acclaimed Ugborodo Community leaders, led by an Hon. Ereyitomi Thomas of the House of Representatives in connivance with Ryda Jaffal Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer of the JAD Group, to protect their entrenched fraudulent arrangements in depriving and appropriating to themselves what rightfully belongs to the people of Ugborodo.
“This protest is not and cannot be in the interest of the Ugborodo Community and, therefore, does not have the support of the Ugborodo people”.
