Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Tension is rising in Rumuekpe, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State, as youths of the oil-rich community have issued a 14-day ultimatum to Aradel Holdings Plc, accusing the company of marginalization, environmental degradation, and failure to fulfill its corporate social responsibility, CSR.
The youth leadership, led by Comrade Ovundah Umeka, President of the Rumuekpe General Youth Forum, has vowed to stage a peaceful protest by blocking the Sombriero River used by Aradel for oil transportation, if their demands are not met.
Speaking on the planned demonstration, Umeka expressed frustration over Aradel’s alleged neglect of Rumuekpe as a host community, despite piping crude oil through its river for years.
“Aradel has been operating in river for many years, yet there is no employment for our people. Nothing is given to our youths. We don’t have good roads, potable water, or any form of development,” he lamented.
According to him, the community peacefully approached Aradel’s office to present their grievances, but the company failed to take action.
“We didn’t want any crisis, so we went to their office and pleaded with them. But now, the youths are bent on going on a protest,” he said.
He stressed that the community has waited for three years without any response from the company, despite several letters, including one sent to Aradel’s head office in Lagos.
Asserting their resolve, Umeka warned that if Aradel refuses to meet their demands within the 14-day deadline, the youths would block the river, preventing the company’s vessels from passing.
“It will be a peaceful demonstration. We are going to block the river, so their vessels will not be able to pass. If they want to kill us, they can kill us. It’s either they employ our people, like they employ others, or they kill us,” he declared.
He accused the company of polluting their river, which serves as a source of drinking water and fishing for the community.
“The river is between Ekpeye and Rumuekpe; we fish from it, and we drink from it. But crude oil has spoilt the water, and yet we are not benefiting anything from the company,” he added.
Echoing the concerns, Comrade Emmanuel Ovunze, Public Relations Officer of the Rumuekpe Youths Forum, emphasized that the protest is aimed at drawing attention to the plight of the community.
“The company has been operating on our waterfront for three years now, yet no one from Rumuekpe has been employed or given a contract. Our water is polluted, and our people are suffering,” Ovunze said.
He stressed that the youth leadership has tried to calm the agitated community members, but the situation is becoming unbearable.
“Our youths, women, and elders are eager to protest, but we have been begging them to calm down and exhaust all peaceful avenues. That is why we are using SweetCrude Reports to call on relevant authorities to intervene,” he added.
The youth leaders urged the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, to compel Aradel to engage with the community before the ultimatum expires.
“This is a good opportunity for the sole administrator to call on Aradel to order. Our people are dying; we have no hospitals, no clean water, no jobs, and no roads,” Ovunze stated.
The looming protest comes at a time when Rivers State is already grappling with political instability following the federal government’s declaration of a state of emergency.
Reacting to the growing tension, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, called on the management of Aradel to act swiftly to avoid further escalation.
“The state is already fragile with the state of emergency and suspension of the governor. This is not the time for protests. I urge the sole administrator of Rivers State to intervene and prevail on Aradel to address the concerns of the Rumuekpe people,” Fyneface said.
As the 14-day ultimatum counts down, all eyes are on Aradel and the Rivers State government to see whether the demands of the community will be met or if the situation will spiral into a full-blown confrontation.
As of the time of filing this report, Aradel Holdings Plc has not responded to the allegations or the 14-day ultimatum issued by the Rumuekpe youths, as all efforts to reach its Community Relations Manager, Blessing Okpowo, proved abortive as calls and messages sent to his phone were neither answered or returned.
