LAGOS APRIL 18TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The recent bloody crisis that engulfed some Delta state riverine communities following the controversial $16 billion Gas City Project, which is located at Ogidigben of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, is said to be rearing its ugly head again as the people of the Kpokpo / Okpeleama Communities, have warned President Goodluck Jonathan, for his own personal interest they say, to put off for now, his next scheduled visit, part of a foundation laying ceremony at the Escravos Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
Issuing the warning on behalf of the communities is an influential Niger Delta Activist, Chief Bello Oboko, who advised President Goodluck Jonathan to put off the foundation laying ceremony in order not to risk the anger of neglected stakeholders.
Addressing newsmen few days ago at the Stakeholders Forum on Securing Oil and Gas Investments in Effurun, Oboko, Chief Bello Oboko cited the case of the Kpokpo/Okpeleama Communities. He said though not less than 335.554 hectares of land belonging to the Escravos EPZ land area, and the dwellers of Kpokpo/Okpeleama land area, are not allowed to participate in the on-going work carried out in the Escravos EPZ site. As such, what is worth doing is worth doing well.
The Niger Delta Activist insisted that Stakeholders should be guided by the experiences of the past in charting a way forward in securing oil investments.
Oboko, who was the President of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC,) was approached by the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, years ago to resolve what some called ‘foreign hostage and pipeline vandalization.’ The situation in the Niger Delta comes from an apparent neglect of required action by all Stakeholders, so goes the thinking, and had resulted in the destruction of oil investments in the past.
While listing the vandalized oil investment properties to members of the press, Chief Bello Oboko was clear in the naming of names of the affected sites. Damaged oil properties include, Dibi, Alero, Sahara Oil Flow Stations; owned by Chevron Nigeria Limited, Opumami Flow Station; owned by Elf, Warri-Lagos Gas Pipeline and Crude Oil Pipeline; owned by the Petroleum Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC), Oboko said there was a need to avoid a repeat by a changing of ways.”
Following the revocation of their land, Oboko said there is also a human price, and that “local economies are dislocated with nagging hunger and humanitarian issues.” Those issues he stressed, are ones “that have become a crises in the affected communities.” He added that it was provocative that the people were de-inherited of their land against God’s assurance, and quoted the Bible in Psalm 37:3, that those who “dwell in the land enjoy safe pastures”.
Meanwhile, despite Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s inspection visit to the project site on Wednesday, ostensibly in preparation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to perform the ceremony, the local people have insisted on the warning issued to the President, not to embark on the visit which might ‘result in an effect that may be devastating’ to the president.
Speaking to our correspondent, some local youth and elders who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that they have concluded all plans to resist the President’s visit, and should Jonathan remain adamant in his stance, and to avoid to all the warnings pubicly issued to him, whatever happens, he should be ready to take responsibility.
They accused the state governor of playing a double standard game as far as the project is concerned, especially in the giving out of contracts to his cronies, and political associates, to represent his personal interest.