Itsekiri Protesting Groups to Okowa: Those you met didn’t represent our interests

Five Itsekiri groups that staged the protest against Oil and Gas Major, Chevron Nigeria Limited at the company’s Warri Office on Monday August 15; Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, HOSTCOM Itsekiri Youth Wing, Movement For The Protection of Itsekiri Homeland, Development and History, MPIHDH and Benin River Pressure Group, BRPG have described the purported discussion between Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and selected Itsekiri Stakeholders as “alien to the reason for their protests”.

According to a Joint Statement issued exclusively to Fresh Angle International in Warri on Tuesday August 16 by the groups, those who attended the meeting with Governor Okowa at Asaba, including representatives of the Olu of Warri; Chief Ayirimi Emami and Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, representative of Ugborodo EPZ Interface Committee, Barr. Austin Oborogbeyi, Dr. Terry Mene-Akpata, who represented Olaja-Orori of Ugborodo, Dube Benson Omadeli as well as Jolomi Metsagharun, Emma Meke and others talked about the issue of factional leadership in Ugborodo, which had nothing to do with the more than one week protests against Chevron.

The groups’ statement signed by Messrs Esimaje Awani for INYC, Comrade Edema Oritsetimeyin Collins for NAIG, HOSTCOM Itsekiri Youth Wing Leader, Comrade Ajemijereoma Gabriel Mene-Ejegi, leader of Movement For  The Protection of Itsekiri Homeland, Development and History, Comrade Aderejor Ologhojoba James and President of Benin River Pressure Group, BRPG, Comrade Aderejor Raymond, insist that the protests which began last week at Chevron premises in Ugborodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area and extended to the Company’s Administrative Office in Warri on Monday August 15, was organized in conjunction with Ugborodo Youth body and has nothing to do with leadership crisis in Ugborodo.

They stated emphatically that Chevron must situate its Corporate headquarters in Itsekiri land, as they earlier demanded, insisting that the company’s contemporaries such as Mobil, SPDC and LNG now operate their headquarters in the areas of operation.

According to the groups, Chevron’s recruitment process must be done in accordance with the Local Content Act since “Itsekiri Nation produces approximately 90 percent of CNL’s total exploration in Nigeria, which is about 400, 000 barrels per day” and the company must reverse its close camp policy in all Itsekiri Communities, playing host to Chevron facilities such as Escravos Tank Farm and Flow Stations.

Other demands of the groups are: provision of electricity in all Itsekiri Communities, provision of quality healthcare facilities as well as access roads.

Meanwhile, a source at the meeting told Fresh Angle International in an exclusive telephone chat that Dr. Terry Mene-Akpata who represented the Spiritual Head of Ugborodo (Olaja-Orori) allegedly told Governor Okowa that the people of Ugborodo do not have any issue with Chevron, but only want the company to recognize the Interim Management Committee set up by Pa. Benson Omadeli, the Olaja-Orori of Ugborodo. It was the purported submission of Dr. Terry Mene-Akpata that informed the decision of Dr. Okowa to appoint Chief Ayirimi Emami as head of an eight-man committee to collate the names of additional 25 persons and submit same to him within one week. Other members of the eight-man Committee include Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, Austin Oborogbeyi, Dr. Ayo Ayomike, Alex Eyengho and Emma Meke.

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