Women from Emede, Oley, and Olomoro, in Isoko South Local Government Area, numbering over 200, have shut down the Olomoro/Oleh flow station of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited.
The women, who carried placards with different inscriptions, barricaded the entrance gate of the company and vowed to remain there until their demands were met.
Speaking on their grievances, Mrs Helen Obrogo alleged gruesome marginalization of the Olomoro/Oleh cluster 5 by Heritage Energy, which she said had come to a head.
Mrs. Obrogo averred that as the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg, they could no longer tolerate the diabolical orchestration by the oil company and its cohort against the interest of cluster 5.
She said they had, therefore, declared HEOSL a persona non grata, stressing that the company was no longer needed as it had become an oppressor in their land.
According to her, they were not happy with Heritage Energy because the infield surveillance contract duly advertised by the company, bided for and won by a solely indigenous company owned by an Oleh indigene and Chief of the kingdom bided. CMD Limited, following which the company received an offer letter and was duly invited for a kickoff meeting, which he attended, and modalities for kick-off agreed upon.
Mrs. Obrogo said on the strength of that, CMD mobilized men and resources to the entire OML 30 Isoko area infield in January 2024 and had effectively secured the infield to date with an outstanding record of performance and stoppage of crude oil bunkering along the Uzere-Emede-Oleh line, down to Iyede and even Enwhe
Provocatively, she continued, HEOSL had refused to release payment to CMD Limited for nine months running.
Also speaking, Mrs. Ann Ogiale alleged that HEOSL was working with the greatest conspirator and threat to peace in OML.30 and the entire Isoko nation, one Chief Iduh Amadhe, and an interest-driven traditional ruler wanted to impose a nonindigenous contractor on them.
Mrs. Ogiale pointed out that the owner of the said company was not an indigene of Oleh, as his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all lived and were buried in Ofagbe, a community not related to OML 30 in any shape or form.
She accused HEOSL of continually engaging quack and fake contractors for fixing and maintenance of valved spots, so much so that repaired valved spots frequently got bad for other rounds of repairs, leading to avoidable pollution of arable farmland.
Mrs Ogiale further alleged that they had it in good authority and they affirmed that very top HEOSL personnel were insider collaborators to crude oil theft and contract fixing.
Another of the protestors, Mrs Theresa Umuneruo, said in line with the PIA law, NPDC hosted a training, induction, and inauguration of the PIA Board wherein a cluster representative and indigene of Olomoro, Deacon John Oteri, was elected to lead the Board, following which he was handed a letter of incorporation as a symbol of authority.
She said sadly, HEOSL had refused to acknowledge the symbolic event and authority; rather, it was bent on superimposing a representative from another cluster on the Board, windering the crime of cluster 5.
In summary, the women, outraged by the excesses and inglorious manipulations by HEOSL against cluster 5, resolved to shut down oil exploration activities on their land and demanded immediate payment of the infield contractors, CMD Limited, for his efficient infield surveillance service.
They also asked for the recognition of Deacon John Oteri as Chairman of the PIA Board and the evacuation of HEOSL from the OML 30 asset while urging NPDC to look inward and, like most divested assets, engage from the pool of eminently qualified local professionals to manage the OML 30 asset.
The women said NO to British company management of their resources and NO to the exploration of crude oil in all facilities in cluster 5 until their demands were effectively met.
Efforts To get the reaction of Heritage Energy personnel on ground proved abortive as they claimed they did not have the authority to speak.
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