Indigenes of oil-rich Ugborodo Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday mounted a shrine with a fearful idol in Chevron facility as they shut down Chevron, the Escravos Gas to Liquid, EGTL, and the company’s dock in protest over non-implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
The protesters gave the name of the idol “Ogbejugbele”.
They said their action was not a threat to Chevron and its staff but to let them know that their ancestors were angry with the company.
They warned that Chevron should not take them and their idols for granted as they blocked the entrance into the facility.
DAILY POST can report that those on the crew were not allowed to go in and out of the yard by the protesters who chanted solidarity songs.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as, “2019/2020 workforce are your family members”, “Chevron doesn’t intimidate us with security”, “give us what rightfully belongs to us”, “We can work”, and “put the community first in all employment”.
Other inscriptions were, “Chevron Implement Ikpere Host Community PIA as agreed by NURPC”, “Train the people on the job”, “Chevron engage Community in the ongoing conversion”, “Chevron gross marginalization must stop”, “Give us our contract in the turn around maintenance”, “Our community is not your property” and “Chevron Stop the discrimination against Ugborodo Host Community.”
They said they will not leave Chevron’s facilities until the Federal Government prevails on the oil multinational to do the needful.
The protesters tendered forty-one demands to Chevron to look into and consider without any excuses.
Amongst the demands were that Chevron should as a matter of urgency implement the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, implement the Ikpere Host Community PIA as agreed by the National Upstream Regulatory Commission, NURPC, and give employment to youths and people of Ugborodo and Itsekiri indigenes
In a chat with newsmen, Helen Uremure, a woman leader in the Ugborodo Community said they staged the protest because Chevron failed in meeting its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, to the Ugborodo Community.
Uremure said there is nothing for the Ugborodo Community to show for Chevron’s existence in their community for the past 60 years.
“We have not received anything from Chevron. No employment, no contract. Even our elders, nothing to support them. They’re cheating on us “.
While noting that she had personally written to Chevron to employ Ugborodo youths, Uremure said the company failed to listen.
According to her, “Even some of our boys, they’re graduate. To convert them, nothing. They’re just doing laborer job.”
Another indigene of the Ugborodo Community, Julie Iwetan who also spoke with Our Correspondent said the people of Ugborodo are hungry and suffering exclaiming, “Chevron we need employment”.
A youth in Ugborodo Community, Ukueyinden Ajuetsi said the community lacks basic amenities like portable drinking water and light stressing that there’s no job for the teeming youths.
He said the protest will continue until Chevron considers their plights.
A leader in Ugborodo Community, Joseph Ireyefoju who also spoke with Our Correspondent said Chevron has failed to implement the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA pointing out that the community is grossly underdeveloped.
He noted that there was ongoing maintenance work in the facility but Chevron had brought workers from outside without considering them, indigenes of Ugborodo Community.
He said that this, it shows that does not respect the local content law as well as its Corporate Social Responsibilities, CSR to the Community.
Ireyefoju said erosion had washed the Ugborodo Community away and the oil company could not help in piling the same for them.
Ireyefoju said, “We are not leaving this place until they answer us. Federal Government should help us talk to Chevron to do the needful”.
Leader of the peaceful protest, Augustine Iyinbo who corroborated the claims of all the speakers said, “We will not leave until Chevron does the needful”.
