OML 40: Egbema Youths Back Polobubo Leaders On Ultimatum For NPDC/Elcrest

OML 40: Egbema Youths Back Polobubo Leaders On Ultimatum For NPDC/Elcrest

As the seven-day ultimatum given NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture Oil Company, operator of OML 40 by the leaders of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council expires in four days, Egbema youth body, under the auspices of Concerned Egbema Indigenes, CEI, has expressed support and backing for the leaders.

However, the Executive chairman of the Warri North Local Government Council, Smart Asekutu, has continued to strive to ensure both parties meet to avoid shutting down of the oil company’s operation in the area.

The executive and leaders of the Polobubo Community National Executive Council, had in a press conference in Warri on Wednesday January 19, 2022, handed down a seven-day ultimatum to the management of NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture Ltd, operator of OML 40 to meet with the leaders to address the issue of the negative impact of the dredging of the main waterways on the mobility and economic activities of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community.

In a statement signed by the President-General of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council-Host Community to Opuama Flow Station, Bright Abulu, the General Secretary of the body, Revd T.D. Clement and the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Christmas Ukugha, the body expressed worry on the negative effect of the company’s ongoing dredging activities on the main waterway leading to the communities.

The statement read in part:
“We wish to bring to your attention the emergency situation we have found ourselves as a community due to NPDC past and current dredging and oil & gas operations in the Opuama flow station and Polobubo (Tsekelewu) community axis and the refusal of the company to honor several invitations for a meeting with the community leadership on how to address the hazardous effects of its dredging and sweeping operations on the access wopaterways to Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community.

“It should be recalled that the leadership of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council (Host Community to Opuama Flow-Station) on the 9th of December, 2021 wrote to NPDC management requesting for a meeting to proffer solution on the negative impact of past and ongoing dredging activities on Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community and other sundry issues relating to its operations. This letter was acknowledged by the NPDC Managing Director’s office. However, no response came from the company and no reason was given.

“A reminder letter was written on December 24, 2021 and was acknowledged by same office on December 31, 2021, but again there was no response. A third letter was sent on January 5, 2022 and acknowledged on the 7th, in which the national security agencies and the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, were copied, calling for a meeting to hold on January 10, 2022.

“Regrettably, as we speak, there has been no response from the company. NPDC/Elcrest have refused/failed to honor Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community invitations to a meeting intended to proffer solutions to the negative impact of the dredging of the main waterways on mobility and economic activities of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community. Yet the dredging project is going on unabated to the extent that an oil well drilling Rig has been moved into our territory to carry out extensive drilling operations.

“Consequent upon the inexplicable silence of the company, it has become imperative to call this press conference to alert the Management of NPDC, Delta State Government, Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Community of the danger our people are facing and the imminent physical blockade of the Community waterways as a result of artificial siltation and drying up of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community waterways by NPDC/Elcrest past and ongoing dredging activities, which is about to cut us off from the rest of the world.

“As you all know, our transportation system is by waterways; and, now that we are practically grounded as a result of the operations of NPDC/Elcrest, we can no longer remain silent.

“As a peaceful and law-abiding people, we hereby demand for NPDC to respect the right of the community to exist and carry out its traditional and economic activities. Based on our aforementioned letters to NPDC management and increasing negative impact of the ongoing dredging on Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community, within seven (7) days of this press conference, the management of NPDC should invite the leadership of the Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council to a meeting to amicably resolve this issue.

“We believe that the company will appreciate this peaceful gesture by doing the needful without further delay.”

The statement further put the nation and the international community on notice that at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum on January 26, 2022, if the company fails to address the issues, the host communities will have no other option than to shut down the NPDC/Elcrest operation in OML 40.

“The nation and international community is, therefore, put on notice by this press conference, that at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum on January 26, 2022 and the issues remain unresolved, we will be left with no other alternative but to shut down the NPDC/Elcrest operations within our God-given territory in OML 40,” the body warned.

Meanwhile, CEI that has been slugging it out with the management of NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture Oil Company Ltd over the continued refusal of the company to sign and implement the GMoU drawn up between it and the host communities, has indicated their intention to back up the elders and leaders of the Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council’s demands and ultimatum.

In a statement signed by Silas Toruwei, he said that the youth body has come out to back up the seven-day ultimatum given by the leaders of the community to shut down the operations of NPDC/Elcrest flow station in OML 40 in Egbema kingdom should the company continue to renege on the need for a dialogue on how to address the negative impact of the ongoing dredging of the main waterway.

Silas recalled how the Oloduwa, host communities of OML 40 has been suffering due to the failure of NPDC and its joint venture to comply with the Local Content Act in its recruitment policy with the communities’ youths for the development of the kingdom amongst other denial of the peoples’ right.

He said: “Concerned Egbema indigenes (CEI) has come out to back the 7-day ultimatum to shutdown NPDC/ELCREST Flow station OML 40 in the Kingdom issued by the Polobubo National leaders.

“It is no longer news that facts are replete on how the Olodu­wa; host communities of OML 40 in Egbema kingdom Warri North L.G.A Delta State, are unduly suffering due to the failure of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd (NPDC), a subsidi­ary of the Nigerian National Pe­troleum Corporation (NNPC), and the Transnational Oil Companies to comply with the local content act (LCA) through the employment of qualified youths of the host com­munities. for the company’s refusal in adhering to the development guiding its operation in the territory.”

Gen Silas Toruwei fumed at the long years of perpetual marginalization and oppression inflicted on the people by the NPDC, saying that “We have no single staff in this aforementioned companies from Egbema despite the numerous qualified graduates we have.

“No infrastructure constructed and completed, no human capital empowerment or developmental program of any kind, no potable water, no Electricity despite the continuous exploration and exploitation going on in every nooks and crannies of the kingdom.

“Our people are not slaves, enough of this bondage we are subjected and subjugated to the company in our own Land.”

The youth leader assured that the youth body will do everything to assist to make sure that the prolong precarious situation inflicted on the people of Egbema by the oil companies is alleviated this time, adding that “This is a fight of no retreat no surrender, I call on every conscious indigene of the kingdom to join the National leader of Polobubo in this fight. We cannot continue in pain and expect harmony and development to abound, he added.

Meanwhile, the Executive chairman of Warri North Local Government Area, Smart Asekutu in his continued pursuit for peace in the area, has pleaded with the leadership of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) National Executive Council to give peace a chance while he explores ways for both parties to parley without shutting down of operations.

While speaking with our correspondent, Asekutu assured that he would continue to pursue the path of peace between the oil company and the host communities, adding that his continuous intervention between both parties had prevented open conflict.

He however urged the management of NPDC/Elcrest to consider the demand of the leadership of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) National Executive Council, adding that the dredging of the main water way to the communities has its adverse impact on the daily life of the people.

“I will continue to intervene to ensure peace in Warri North Local Government Area. In doing this, I have been blackmailed and called all sorts of names by both the Oil company and the Communities, but I don’t bother.

“For as long as I remain the chairman of the Council, I will continue to strive to ensure that both parties meet to iron out their differences for the purpose of peaceful co-existence,” the Council chairman said.