We’ll keep visiting Flour Mill in dreams, physically – protesting Ogorode indigenes, declare

The Ero and Omiugbo Family in Ogorode Community, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, have threatened to keep visiting Flour Mill of Nigeria Plc in dreams and physically, saying the company keeps arresting and taking them to different police stations, instead of implementing Cooperate Social Responsibility, CSO.

The family, stated that they have not benefited anything from Flour Mill Nigeria Plc, since 1972 when the company came and begged their ancestors to lease their land.

 The Trust Secretary of Ero and Omiugbo Family, Ogorode Community, Eric Esidamire Ikomi, who spoke Thursday October 29 at the premises of Flour Mill Nigeria Plc in Ogorode, during day-2 of protest against the company, vowed that they will achieve their demands with every resource they have.

While stating that the company, has refused to pay their rent, offer the host community employment opportunities and fail to “obey all that is in the lease agreement”, Ikomi, averred: “Our Masquerades, have decided to get involved in the fight against Flour Mill.”

Eric Ikomi, addressing newsmen

He added: “In 1972 Flour Mill of Nigeria Plc came and begged our ancestors to lease our land so that they could carry out their business and since then they have been operating without any interference by the community.

“Instead of addressing the issues, they keep arresting us to different stations, we are here and our ancestors will keep visiting them in their dreams and physically until they address the issues on ground, we will not involve ourselves in any criminal issues, but we will make sure that we will achieve our demands with every resource we have, we are not slaves and cannot be enslaved in our own land.

“Since then they have refused to pay their rent, no employment and fail to obey all that is in the lease agreement, we have written series of letters and reminders to them, but they ignore us, their landlord. Since the tenant refused to answer the landlord, the landlord will come to them, a tenant cannot be bigger than the Landlord, Flour Mill is our tenant and we will be going to them. They want to keep exploring us.

“Because of their operations, the village is faced with a lot of hazards, the dust is causing serious health issues to the people of the community, grain weevils have taken over the entire community, even with our complaints, nothing has been done, no employment, no Cooperate Social Responsibility CSO, nothing whatsoever we have benefited in a company, which operates in our land. 

Placard carrying members of Ero and Omiugbo Family

“We are going to use traditional means, physical means and legal means to make sure they attend to us this time around. Flour Mill, agreed to be giving us constant light, but for over three years now, refused to give us light, no water. We will continue to agitate for our right in a civil manner, until Flour Mill attends to us.”

Fresh Angle International, can report that members of the family, participating in the peaceful protest, carried placards with inscriptions such as; “We are your host community”, “No to Slavery”, “We need Electricity”, “Ogorode is your host community” and “Flour Mill, you are our Tenant, pay us our debt.”

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