Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The residents of the oil-rich Ugborodo Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State have announced the suspension of their lingering protest against Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) in order to give room for further discussions.
The announcement was part of the resolutions reached by the community on Sunday, following a general meeting that took place at the community’s town hall in Ode-Ugborodo.
The meeting was attended by Chief Ayirimi Emami from Warri Kingdom, Eghare Daniel Uwawah; the Eghare-Aja of the Ugborodo community, Prince Perry Atete; and a cross-section of the community’s indigenes.
While speaking to journalists at the end of the meeting, one of the Ugborodo Community leaders, Mr. Alex Eyengho, explained that the community suspended the protest against CNL to give room for further discussions.
In his own words, “Ugborodo Community has held several meetings with CNL and the Company is showing some commitments as it concerns the PIA.”
Eyengho expressed that the Ugborodo Community had, in their recent protests, demanded that CNL should provide it with electricity, water, empowerment, and job opportunities for indigenes, and according to him, the Company has made commitments towards attending to these requests.
He said that the community demanded for a “Trust” that is different from others in Itsekiri land, adding that indigenes of the Ugborodo Community have resolved, as an autonomous community, that its Trust should now be known as “Ekpere Host Communities Development Trust” (EHCDT).
Eyengho further stated that there has been a tripartite meeting between the community, CNL, and the National Regulatory Commission (NRC) over the matter and that “the action is not a disrespect to anyone but in compliance with what the PIA stipulates.”
The community leader also pointed out that the Ugborodo Community has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which also operates in its domain, to negotiate with them directly as per the PIA 2021.
His words, “should SPDC fail to heed to the demands, Ugborodo Community will do what is right within the scope of the law in a peaceful protest against the oil company. The PIA is clear and it is host community-based. Follow the law to the latter.”