Tension in Delta Oil Area As Protesters Shut Down Agip Facility, Indict ALGON Boss

ASABA, DELTA March 24, (THEWILL) – Tension was high today as fear gripped an oil producing community in Delta State as women and youths in their hundreds in Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area shut down operations of the Italian oil giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

The aggrieved protesters from nine oil families in the area besieged the company and barricaded the main entrance into the company's facilities forcing the workers to evacuate the yard and threatened to remain there until their demands are met even as they have vowed that the company’s operations would remain closed until it effects the change of the name of the oil well located at Oleh from Irri-5 to Oleh- A.

"We will continue to disrupt your activities until you address our issue," a protester screamed at the entrance.

The protesters had faulted the company for failing to rename the oil Well name IRRI Well 5 to OLEH Well 1; reflecting where it is currently drilling a new oil well.

A communiqué issued on behalf of the nine families and signed by the chairman, Oleh Community Development Committee (CDC) Elder Ossoh Johnson, Alhaji Usman Ekpede, Peter Akpobome, Lawrence Ofou and others, accused the oil company and its agents of continued marginalization, oppression of the families and Oleh community without regards to the provisions of an earlier.

The protesters also accused the state chairman of ALGON (Association of Local Governments of Nigeria) who is also the Chairman of lsoko South Local Government Council, Mr. Askia Ogieh for reportedly summoning the families, the oil firm, security agents, traditional rulers of a neighboring communities and scheming out the host traditional ruler of Oleh community, HRM Anthony William Ovrawa Omogha 1 (JP), Odiologbo of Oleh kingdom and wondered how the council chairman intended to resolve the lingering crisis if all stake holders were not invited to a round table talk on ways to finding solutions to the crisis, so as not to allow it escalate.

Lodging series of complaints against Agip which they alleged was only prepared to employ clandestine measures to actualize its capitalist intention of ripping them of their precious natural resources (oil and gas) they among other demands called for the immediate payment for lands acquired or rented, compensation for their farms, crops, trees and drilling operation disturbances, produce a surrey plan or map to ascertain the actual land acquired and to effect with immediate effect, a former Environmental impact Assessment (EIA), as required by law, resign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community as well as offer contractual opportunities to its hosts and employment for her teeming youths.

The protesters also frowned at the situation the company and its agents had consistently employed the services of security operatives to assault, harass and intimidate protesting women currently occupying the oil well site, warning that any further ill- treatment melted to the protesters would be resisted.

The protests also caused tension and panic between neighboring Irri community and Oleh as indigenes lay claim to the land where the oil well is located.

As at the time of filing in the report, all efforts to get comments from Agip and the state ALGON boss proved abortive.