The people of Okoroma
Clan in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Monday demanded that a lapsed
agreement with Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) be renewed with 14 days.
The residents regretted that jobs reserved for
members of the oil firm in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which expired
in 2011 was being diverted.
The therefore advised
NAOC to refrain from awarding contracts meant for them to others in the state
or consider shutting down their operations in the area.
The oil bearing
communities made the demand under the auspices of Okoroma Volunteers a
socio-cultural organization and pressure group of Okoroma clan.
Mr Ubani Godwin Spokesman
of Okoroma Volunteers, who narrated the plight of the people in an interview in
Yenagoa said that the people have been marginalized by NAOC.
According to him,
since crude oil exploration started in the area, communities from the Clan have
been continuously denied the opportunity to benefit from oil and gas wellhead
and pipeline surveillance contracts from Agip.
The people further
lamented that despite being the only Clan that has Agip crude oil producing
wells and flow stations in the entire Nembe LGA, they are never considered for
employment into the company.
According to Godwin it
was regrettable that as owners of the land hosting the crude oil flow stations,
Agip had continued to give their benefits to some persons in neighbouring
communities, thereby leaving them in total neglect.
He alleged that
anytime the people attempt to agitate against this ill-treatment, there are few
saboteurs from the Clan who feed on crumbs from Agip that are used to counter
the people's demands.
According to him, the the saboteurs resort to
blackmail of different types just to deny the development agenda of the clan,
thereby denying the Clan of its legitimate benefits.
"The history of Okoroma Clan has it that
Okoro, the first son of the founder of Ogbia Kingdom, is the founder of Okoroma
Clan.
“ And when Bayelsa was
created, for administrative purposes, Okoroma Clan was attached to Nembe LGA.
"And today, we
stand as the only Clan in Nembe LGA that is host to all Agip flow stations and
oil producing wells but as we speak, the last time the company signed any
Memorandum of Understanding with us was in 2006.
“The MoU expired in
2011. And since then we have not had a new one.
“As we speak, other
clans in Nembe LGA are benefitting from Agip's oil and gas pipeline
surveillance contract but in our own case, the contract of our Clan is awarded
to persons from neighbouring Communities.
“The beneficiaries of
these unfair treatments to us in Okoroma are those that are very close to the
government, thereby leaving our men, women and youths unemployed.
.
"To put the
record straight at this point, in 2006 when we protested against Agip for
failing to meet up with its corporate social responsibility just as they are
doing today.
“They employed to services of military men who
fired gunshots into the crowd of peaceful protesters, killing a young man named
Erefagha Oyagiri.
"Our message to
Agip this time is the fact that, we have resolved as a people that no number of
military presences would deter us from shutting down the activities of Agip in
our Communities at the expiration of our 14 days ultimatum to them. “
“We promise them that
if they try to stop us this time, they would have to kill all of us in the
process." Godwin said.
Public Affairs
officials of Agip declined to comment on the issues raised by the community.
However, Cionni Marila
Spokesperson for Eni, Italian Parent Company of NAOC who was contacted for a
response said the oil firm would look at the allegations and respond in due
course.
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