Indigenes of Ugborodo and Ugbeogungun, (major itsekiri oil producing communities) in Warri South West Local Government area of Delta state, have urged the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to respect the tripartite agreements earlier reached with them or risk the disruption of its operations on their land.
It would be recalled that the same Ugborodo communities in Warri South West, last weekend almost shut down over 20,000 barrels capacity production per day at Otumara flow station operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over refusal to comply with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Acts (PIA) which accorded host communities due recognition.
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The affected communities of Deghele, Ugbegungun and five (5) Ugborodo federated Communities of Ode-Ugborodo, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Madangho and Ijaghala, lamented the continued fragrance abuses of the PIA by the multinationals operating in their area.
They have consequently demanded the immediate implementation of the resolution reached at their recent tripartite meeting in the presence of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) inorder to avoid another round of disruption in its operations.
The resolutions reached at the tripartite meeting held on Friday, 9 June, 2023, at NUPRC office in Warri was signed on behalf of the Ugborodo Communities by Mr. Isaac Botosan and Prince Perry Atete (The Ugbajor of Ugborodo Federated Communities).
Others are; Mr. Abugewar Omatsone, who represented the Ugbeogungun Community and Mr. Riliwanu Momodu, a representative of Chevron management while Mr. E Ufondu, represented NUPRC as a witness.
Parts of the resolutions include; “urgent need for Chevron to engage with Ugborodo Community at the Ikpere hall in Ugborodo within a shortest possible time after the meeting held in June this year to fine tune their demands”.
“The meeting resolved that the Commission attends the meeting between CNL and the communities as stated in above”.
“The Commission has noted the name preference for the facility been Hosted by the Community as Ikpere Host Community Development Trust (I-HCDT).
“NUPRC shall respond to the letters from the Ugborodo community on Issues raised”
“The meeting resolved that CNL responds to the Commission on issues raised in the letters from the Ugborodo sent prior to this meeting”.
”The meeting also resolved that the Ugboegungun community should be engaged as well”.
The communities insisted that the earlier Chevron comply to the resolution reached with them at the meeting, the better they can forge a common ground to meet the yearnings and aspirations of their people, so as to foster peace and mutual understanding in their communities.
However in a shocking revelation, a member of the community (who pleaded anonymity) frowned at the way and manner Chevron and SPDC have continued to oppress their people through the instrumentality of their ”Divide and Rule” policy for over five (5) decades unhindered.
He lamented what he described as wicked and oppressive tendencies of the multinationals who have always enjoyed having their ways against the wishes and aspirations of the indigenes of their host communities.
“We have come to realized that the multinationals are selfish and greedy in their approach to issues that bothers on the wellbeing of their host communities because they enjoy seeing them impoverished even as they make billions of dollars from their God’s given wealth”, he stated.
He noted that it had become very obvious that the personal interest of the senior management staff of both IOCs (CNL and SPDC) seems to be overriding that of the general interest of the law, government and communities.
He threatened that the communities would not hesitate to make public the names of those CNL and SPDC senior management team and the reasons for their interest if they do not desist from the insensitivity attitude they have continuously displayed towards their people.
