Youths of Sapele community, host to Seplat Energy in Delta State, on Wednesday, called for the removal of the chairman, Board of Directors, Seplat Energy PLC, Basil Omiyi, and his board members, for what they described as promoting racism, bullying and also intimidation of staff and refusal to sack Roger Brown, the embattled Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of oil company.
The youths, who held a peaceful protest around the premises of Seplat, accused Omiyi of conspiring with the Board members of Seplat to frustrate the removal of Brown.
“Our attention has been drawn to the good decision of the Minister of Interior to cancel Mr Roger Brown’s work permit. Instead of obeying this noble decision of the federal government, and look into the critical issue of racism against Brown, Omiyi announced vote of confidence for a racist foreigner, who is a mere employee. Omiyi and his Board should be ashamed of themselves for telling Roger Brown to continue working without work permit. They should obey court order,” the youths said.
Recall that the Court had restrained Brown from parading himself as the firm’s CEO pending the determination of a suit filed against him and others by aggrieved stakeholders of the company.
The placard-carrying youths, who chanted solidarity songs along the road, lamented that in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Interior had cancelled Brown’s permit, Omiyi has refused to let him go.
Some of the inscriptions on placards included; “Our Collective Effort is Simple, The MD SePlat Must Go,” “The MD Has Sown a Seed of Discord Among the People, This is An Abomination,” Seplat Board and Roger, Stop All the Lies,” “Stop Bullying Our Community Staff, ” Respect Our Community Leaders,” etc.
Engr. Umukoro Dimbianimofa, the Youth President of Okpe community, who spoke to journalists during the protest, said the community has been cooperative with Seplat over the years but regretted that Seplat has continued to neglect the youths of the community.
Reeling out the youths’ demands, he said: “Seplat must sack Roger Brown immediately. For supporting a racist CEO, Mr Omiyi and the Board must go.
“Employ our youths as full staff, not slave contract staff; stop bullying staff; bring back the Technical Department of Seplat from Aberdeen to Nigeria,” he said.
He lamented that the youths in Sapele community have turned to motorcycle riders in order to earn a living for themselves even when they have an oil company in their community.
He also accused Seplat of intimidation of community staff in the company, adding that despite the cries of the staffers in various social media platforms, Omiyi has kept mute.
The youths, therefore, demanded for the employment of their youths, stop bullying staffers and bring back the technical department of Seplat from Aberdeen to Nigeria.
“The reason why we are here protesting today is because of the marginalisation and intimidation of an oil company in our land, Seplat Energy PLC.
“We want our youths to be employed because unemployment brings backwardness and is a disease. Scholarship from Seplat has been a mirage. There is no employment, there is no empowerment for our youths and women.
“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and other relevant authorities to come to our aid. We want peace because without peace no meaningful development could take place anywhere,” said Engr. Dimbianimofa.
One of the protesters, who gave her name as Mrs Faith Nyerovwho, appealed to the government to wade into the plight of the community.
“There are no jobs for the community youths. It is only the outsiders that they are employing in Seplat. There is no scholarship for our children and the suffering in the community is too much. We need the Federal Government to come to our aid,” Nyerovwho stated.
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