The Urhobo people have called on the Federal Government, its relevant ministries and agencies to immediately take corrective steps to redress the injustice done to the Urhobos over the years in the oil sector.
They further called on all other critical stakeholders in the petroleum industry including oil companies and servicing firms to recalibrate their engagement and employment of Urhobo people and their corporate social responsibilities to Urhobo with a view to ensuring the people are deservedly treated to keep the peace and avoid a breakdown of the relationship with the kingdoms of Urhobo.
The Urhobo people and traditional rulers of the twenty-four kingdoms condemned what they termed the deliberate, systematic, and gradual exclusion of the Urhobo ethnic nationality from the management, leadership, and governance structures of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
The Urhobos, through their palace representatives, made the condemnation in a statement by the Chairman, Olorogun Wilson Ejeben and the Secretary, Dr Igho Egbi.
The Urhobo people raised alarm that their sons and daughters are being sidelined as observed in carefully followed recent developments, particularly the appointments of frontline managers and directors, key decision-makers and stakeholders, in the newly constituted boards and leadership structures of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.
Olorogun Ejeben and Dr Egbi lamented that these developments reflect a persistent pattern of exclusion of qualified Urhobo sons and daughters.
The Urhobo Palace Representatives further raised concerns about the disrespectful but tiring conduct of both local and international oil companies operating within Urhobo oil-bearing communities.
Olorogun Ejeben and Dr Egbi noted that these companies continue to exploit resources in Urhobo land with little or no consideration for Urhobos in meaningful employment opportunities, contract awards, or capacity development for qualified indigenes of the host communities.
According to them, these unfairly patterned and oppressive dispositions towards the Urhobos have become more worrisome when it is borne in mind that neither the spirit and letters of the various laws now governing the Oil and Gas sector in Nigeria nor the much-touted policy of deliberate development of indigenous people of the oil-producing areas are observed in making decisions affecting the Urhobo nation.
The Urhobo Palace Representatives stated that the Federal Government cannot, in one breath, declare a Nigerian content development policy in the Oil and Gas sector and then jettison Urhobo content in another breath, as evidenced by the various appointments into positions, including boards and commissions, in the oil and gas sector.
Olorogun Ejeben and Dr Igho stressed that the contributions of Urhobo land to oil and gas production in Nigeria can neither be wished away nor disregarded, saying that with over 350 oil wells, more than 15 flow stations and 12 oil and gas fields, the Urhobo nation contributes about 10% to Nigeria’s total oil production.
They said that the Urhobo people and kingdoms, through their palaces, demand an immediate reversal of the marginalisation and exclusion of Urhobos from the strategic management and administration of the Oil and Gas sector in Nigeria.
According to records, the Urhobo people are now prepared to take their destiny into their hands.
The statement warned that youths and women are particularly worried and determined to cause a ripple if no serious action is taken by the authorities concerned.
They noted that a stitch in time saves nine.
