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Ijaw oil communities in Delta, Bayelsa, besiege to Shell Emma AMAIZE and Akpokona OMAFUAIRE
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ARRI – IJAW oil communi ties in Delta and Bayelsa states, Monday morning, stormed the Shell Nigeria Exploration and P r o d u c t i o n C o m p a n y, SNEPC, office, at Edjeba, near Warri, Delta State, protesting alleged “insensitivity and neglect” by the oil firm following the December 21, 2011, Bonga oil spill. The protesters, including men, women and youths, carried placards, bearing inscriptions such as, “Save Our Souls, send us relief materials”, “Stop discrimination/ intimidation on us”, “No small and or big communities treat all equal”, “Imminent violence by Oil spill, victims SPDC is adamant to their obligatory
The protesters, including men, women and youths, carried placards, bearing inscriptions such as, “Save Our Souls, send us relief materials duties”, “SPDC Bonga (EA) Spill has damaged our Rivers”, “SPDC ignore Bonga Oil Spill victims now dying in silence”.
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orporate Media Relations Manager of SNEPC, Mr. Tony Okonedo, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, said he was aware of
the protest by some communities, demanding for relief materials over alleged oil spill. He said the protesters had already dispersed and since the company was not disinclined to dialogue, it was already discussing with them on their grievances. On the Bonga oil spill, Okonedo, said the company was waiting for the result of the scientific investigation into the oil leak, which could be out in the next few days, before making further comments on the claim by some Niger-Delta communities.
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ecretary General of one of the protesting communities, Kuku-gbene in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Prus Puopu told newsmen, “Since the oil spillage happened, it affected our community a lot and Shell has not compensated or sent
us relief materials. They should pay attention to our communities. We want them to call us for negotiation; they have been calling other c o m m u n i t i e s f o r negotiations, so we want them to call us also.” His Ebibogbene c o u n t e r p a r t , M r. Etimadimene James said, “The oil spillage ravaged our community. Now, we can’t fish in the river, our water has been polluted, the incident has hampered our economics activities of fishing and farming”. “Oil is still flowing to other communities in the riverine area, so SPDC should look for a way to stop the flow”, he added.
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h a i r m a n o f I d e i k e g b e n e community, John Warenu, asserted that the protesters would occupy the company’s gate until it agreed to negotiate with them.
JTF arrests 7 suspects, confiscates oil bunkering equipment Samuel OYADONGHA
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enagoa - The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield has arrested seven suspected crude oil thieves in Bayelsa State. The suspects were nabbed by men of the Joint Task Force on routine patrol of the creeks of Southern Ijaw local government area of the state. Spokesman of the Joint Ta s k Fo r c e , L t . C o l Timothy Antigha, who disclosed this in Yenagoa, said the suspects were arrested at Onyeregbene, L a s u g b e n e a n d Igbomaturu communities. His words, “in line with its mandate to eradicate the menace of crude oil theft, illegal refining of petroleum products and illegal oil bunkering, the J o i n t Ta s k F o r c e , Operation Pulo Shield have arrested 7 suspected pipeline vandals in Onyeregbene, Lasugbene and Igbomaturu communities, in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa. “The ar rests were effected during a routine patrol on 28 January 2012.”
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Ijaw Community
e gave the names of the suspects as Emmanuel Prophet, Patrick Enoch, Douglas Dickson, Goodluck Ala, Foetus Job, Plain Mazellen and Suwoton Aladege.. Items recovered from the suspects, he said, include a generator set, pumping machine, 8hp Outboard engine, a pumping valve, a speed boat, and N42, 010,00 among other personal effect. He added, “the items the suspects were found with are the usual used in vandalising pipelines before crude oil is siphoned.