Bayelsa community shuts down 6 Agip oil wells
The paramount ruler of Egbebiri, Chief Aniedima Nicholas, said
that they disrupted the oil production because of NAOC refusal to renew the
Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the community.
Nicholas said the maiden MoU signed in 2001 lapsed in 2005,
but efforts to get the oil firm to renew the MoU proved abortive.
``Our grievances are due to the insensitive posture of Agip
to our developmental aspirations. Our needs and expectations are captured in
that agreement and if you look at the few amenities we have here, they are
products of the first MoU.
``From 2005 till date, Agip abdicated its role and that
stagnated development here; the road you see was from that MoU, we have waited
for so long a time and decided to take this final step. We are prepared to go
to every length to bring them to the negotiation table to renew the MoU as well
as pay outstanding liabilities for jobs done by the community for more than one
year.
``Our surveillance jobs on their pipelines have continued
despite heavy debts owed to us as well as pending compensation for oil spills
since 2010,” Nicholas said.
The Chairman, Ijaw Youths Council in Egbebiri, Mr John
Aniedima, said the youths had sacked security operatives deployed to safeguard
the facilities after shutting down the flow of oil.
``We have taken over the wells to compel Agip to come to a
negotiating table with community leaders. We are neither against the Federal
Government nor state government, but we want to put an end to the neglect of
our development needs.
``We have barricaded the roads to ensure that no vehicle can
come into the facility and we are ready to mobilise Ijaw youths from other
clans to join us in this struggle,” Aniedima said.
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