… Youths give ultimatum to shut down Coy operation
The executives of Egbema Youth Council, EYC, have exonerated the Warri North Local Government Council chairman, Smart Asekutu over the activities of the youth body, including its recent peaceful protest to shut down the platform of NPDC/Elcrest Joint Ventures in Egbema kingdom.
Addressing the press in Sapele today, the President-General, Comrade Ebidouwei Miyenpirigha and spokesman, Silas Toruwei, described as false an allegation that Asekutu sponsored EYC’s recent peaceful protest at the operational base of the oil company.
The EYC executives stated that they had sent series of letters to the management of NPDC/Elcrest informing it that they would mobilize to shut down their operation over their continuous refusal to sign the General Memorandum of Understanding, GMoU, entered into between the company and the host communities.
According to them, they had at different times issued ultimatums to the oil company, adding that on each occasion, Asekutu had intervened to restrain the youths and restore peace.
They alleged that the council chairman has been a barrier to the youth body, adding that the matter on ground predates his coming to power in the council.
The EYC President-General said: “The Egbema Youth Council are by this publication clearing the air that the allegation against the Warri North local government chairman, Hon. Capt Smart Yomi Asekutu, of sponsoring the Egbema Youth Council on their peace protest to NPDC/Electrest join ventures to recognize the communities in the environ of it operational areas, was false.
“These issues have been there before the coming of Hon. Asekutu as chairman of the Local Government Council. In fact, he (Asekutu) has always been a barrier to our agitations and we are gradually losing trust and confidence in him.
“We have written the company series of letters informing them of our plan to shut down their operation in the flow stations if they continue to fail to sign the GMoU and carry out their obligations to the host communities.
“We have no option than to go back to the company operating area to shut it down totally and please, note that the Egbema Youth Council body gave 21days ultimatum in respect of the unsigned GMoU and when the 21days ultimatum almost elapsed, the Council chairman intervened on the matter to make sure there was peace.
“He called the two parties which is the NPDC/Elcrest and Egbema Youth Council body to his office at Koko, the local government headquarters, for a peace talk.
“There, the company alleged that the Egbema Youth Council had taken them to court and also that they have signed GMoU document with some few leaders in the kingdom.
“The representatives of the company led by Mr Ben Masade, the Commanding Officer, CO, Nigerian Army, Koko, 90 Battalion, DSS, Police, and other members of the Local Govt. Council were present at the meeting on the 30 of Sept, 2021.
“The meeting was not concluded peacefully and that prompted the Egbema Youth Council body to plan onward for another peaceful agitation which was slated for 8th December 2021.
“The company then talked to the protesters and pleaded with them to calm down for dialogue. The company called the chairman Warri North, Asekutu to tell him that there was serious protest by Egbema Youth Council to shut down the company and the Council chairman came together with the army men.
“The company called him to come and intervene and the chairman came immediately and pleaded with the boys to pull out to give way to a peaceful dialogue. Why would a handful of persons now accuse the chairman of being behind the boys or sponsoring them to shut down the company?
“That is absolute false as we have even continued to accuse the Council chairman of frustrating our effort towards protest against the company.”
Speaking further, the President-General of the EYC alleged that NPDC/Elcrest Company was conniving with some leaders from some of the Communities to cause communal crisis in OML-40, adding that if proper attention was not given to EYC as it concerns their demands, the issues would be blown out of proportion.
“It is crystal clear that NPDC/Elcrest are conniving with some of our leaders to cause communal or tribal crisis in OML40.
“If adequate attention is not given to EYC, with respect to our demands, this whole issue will be blown out of proportion.
“Mr. Ben Masade and Tom Abanabe and two ladies of NPDC and Elcrest alleged in a meeting held in Warri Local Government Council on the 30th of September, 2021 that we sued them to court and they also claimed that, they have a signed GMOU with the host Communities in their operational areas. But till date, there is no evidence to justify their claim.
“We want to use this medium to inform the general public that we have not instituted any action in the court of law against NPDC or Elcrest and we are not ready to do same yet. Hence, we urged them to bring any document to proof the validity of their allegation. It is a fraudulent act and should be disregarded because it is a ploy to scuttle our peaceful protest.
“The management of NPDC/Elcrest should, as a matter of urgency caution Ben Masade of Elcrest Community Relations and Tom Abanabe of NPDC Community Affairs to desist from their ploy to cause communal or tribal crisis with their utterances.
“We are ever ready to resist any tactics employed by these controversial staff of NPDC and Elcrest and those behind them should be ready to face the consequences of their actions soonest.
“The meeting that was summoned by NPDC/Elcrest on Friday 10th, December 2021 as a result of our peaceful protest on Wednesday, was disrupted by a group of persons headed by Honourable Spencer Okpoye.
“If appropriate attention is not given to us by summoning another meeting to be attended by their management within this week unfailingly, then they should expect us en mass by next week and we will not leave their platform till this our communities recognition issue is finally settled to our satisfaction”, Silas Toruwei said.
The EYC also said that they could not be intimidated because, “the law recognises peaceful protest in the contemporary society, whilst we are agitating for our rightful entitlement.”
They further said that “Those who are trading with our Communities should also continue and enjoy in the cities at the detriment of their people and they should remember that, the earth is on the side of justice and “what goes round, comes around”.
While advising the Company Manager for Community Relations, Ibrahim Dahiru, to live up to his responsibility so that the Communities could feel his impact, EYC promised to shut down the company’s operations permanently, if their demands were not met and the company continues in its divide and rule politics.
“Lastly, Ibrahim Dahiru, the Manager, Communities relations department in NPDC should stand(up) to his responsibility because the communities are not feeling his impacts as expected.
“We are ready to shut down the operations of NPDC/Elcrest in OML40 permanently if the needed attention is politicised again.
“NPDC/Elcrest should be made to face the adverse effects of our peaceful but days-long protest as from next week,” EYC said.
