By Kelvin Ohoror
Residents of Irri community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State have staged a protest at the OANDO Flow Station, decrying years of alleged marginalization and neglect by the oil company. The peaceful demonstration saw scores of youths and elders including women blocking access to the facility, demanding immediate attention to their grievances.
The demonstration, which began early on Monday, brought the town to a standstill, with major businesses and the oil firms halting operations.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards they carried read, “We Need Electricity”, “We Need Employment”, “Irri Need Gas Turbine”, “Our Skills Acquisition Centre/Hospital Are Dommant”, We Are Being Marginalised”, “We Need Our Fair Share”, “No single Project Since 2017”, “We Need PIA Project”, “We need Upgrade of Our Indigenes Working In OANDO”, “We Need Our Tennant Rate As Owners”, “We Need Indigeneous Contractors”, among others, calling for an end to what they describe as years of neglect by the by the Oil firm operating in the area.
The Isoko Nation Newspaper gathered that the protest was centred around the years of neglect and none fulfilment of the GMOU which was earlier signed by NOAC before it was bought over by OANDO and according to them, OANDO has never listened to their agitation despite series of moves made by the community for negotiations.
Speaking to newsmen during the protest, the President of Irri Development Union, Mr John Ozaveva Eweh said that, “NOAC now OANDO have been operating in our community for many years and the community has been left behind. We have written several letters, made series of requests, but to no avail. They are in our land working and exploiting our God- given resources without giving regard to our community were they operate.
“They are hiding under the PIA to deny the community what is due and expected from them. For example, the PIA did not tell them not to respect our Odio-Ologbo. The PIA did not tell them not to respond to letters. Our request are written on the various placards and if our demands are not met, we will shut down all oil exploration activities in their community.”
Also speaking, Odio Silas Efajemue, Odio in Council, who represented the Odiologbo of Irri, HRM Simon Wajutome Odhomo, Igbogidi I, said; “We need light, we have been crying for this light over the years that they have been operating here. The PIA act that was signed into law by the Federal Government, the company has failed to adhere to it. We need our sons and daughters to be employed in the company. Also we need the company to create Public Affairs Department here, we can’t be running to Kwale just to submit letters and our request for the Public Affairs Department unit there. We need ours here so that we can be having our meetings with the company here without running to Kwale whenever the need arises.
“Since OANDO took over this place, they have not paid a courtesy visit to His Majesty. So we don’t know who is operating here, whether its AGIP or OANDO. By right, as OANDO took over, they suppose to pay a courtesy visit to the Odiologbo Palace, but that they haven’t done. They have not followed what was written in the GMOU including the scholarship given 3 years ago. Since 2017, till date, they are still owing us what was written in the GMOU we signed years ago.”
In their separate interviews, the Odiologbo Palace Secretary, Hon Efewomazino Okiroro Otuaga and Prince Olomu Chris Ewomazino, Landlord Chairman of the Community, said, the protest was long overdue because the company operating in the area has neglected the community, stressing that; “It has been long that the company deviated from the GMOU which was signed since 2015 and the last project done by the company in the community was in 2017. And since then till date, nothing has been done. We have written several letters all to no avail. Hence we are protesting today.”
They vowed to shut down all oil exploration activities in the community if their demands were not met, noting that as host community to OANDO, an Oil Company operating in the area, they deserved better deal.
