Emma Amaize
06 February 2013, Sweetcrude, Warri – No fewer than 2,000 angry villagers from three communities in Delta State, Tuesday, chased away workers at the Nigeria Petroleum Development Corporation, NPDC, flow station at Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area, and shut down its operations.
The Oleh/Olomoro flow station, which produces about 150,000 barrels per day, is one of those divested by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to NPDC, but the anger of the people was that the new owners did not bother to enter into any meaningful agreement with them.
It was gathered that the protesters from Oleh, Emede and Olomoro in Isoko South Local Government Area, said the company would remain shut until the management agreed to negotiate with them.
A community leader, Mr. Emmanuel Ogedegbe, said: “The company is operating without regard to its host communities and we want to tell them that we own the land and they have to negotiate the terms of their operation and development package with the people. As far as we are concerned, they are carrying out mysterious operation here, the host communities do not know them and they act as if they are not bothered, they should negotiate with us.”
