Tension and palpable fear have gripped members of the riverine community of Ogwu-Ikpele community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State following fresh crisis generated shut down of 12 oil wells due to purported failure of an oil company to operate within the bracket of due diligence and Corporate Social Responsibility( CSR).
The oil company, Sterling Petroleum Energy Exploration Company (SNEEPCO) is Shell’s Nigerian deep-water oil and gas subsidiary, a pioneer in the country’s offshore energy and a key partner with NNPC, has in its 10 years of existence been in the news for the wrong reasons.
The oddities which compound these agony compounds the yearly
seasonal flooding challenges the community faces include alleged militarisation of the area, existence of hostile atmosphere, chasing state government officials out of the oil exploration site, failure to employ indigenes and account for the quantity of oil outflows and incomes generated periodically.
Also, the ship that explores the oil has believably caused erosion near the river banks, leaving no fewer than over 30 houses submerged and fallen into the River Niger.
The indigenes, it was learnt bid their time and opted to protest the ills, neglect, lack of basic amenities and dehumanization of the Indigenes by SPEECO Petroleum on its 10th anniversary held weekend when no fewer than hundreds of the elderly, youths, women and children protested what they described as ten years of neglect, agony, denial, rejection and degradations by SPEECO.
The protesting Ogwu Ikpele Indigenes carried placards some of which reads: “No road, no hospital, no jobs,” “Ogwu Ikpele suffers 10 years of SPEECO exploitation and neglect,” “Say no to SPEECO breach of agreements,” among others.
The protesters, according to a source, were instructed to dare the consequences and block the oil company from further mining until the needful is done.
The protest which lasted between last Friday and Saturday saw the indigenes barricade access roads, shut down 12 oil wells and electricity supply facilities. The 12 wells, it was gathered, are in Umuokike, Umuanyasi, umumgbeleke, Umuogbulishi and Umuogbu.
A source from the company that pleaded anonymity puts the loss by the oil company in the two-day protest at about N200 million.
When this reporter monitored the community’s protest as the company celebrated its ten years of existence, it was gathered that there were no visible basic amenities like tarred roads, well-equipped, functional hospital, regular power supply, pipe-borne water supply except few bore holes done recently by the state government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) party in the state.
In his reaction to the protest, the Traditional Prime Minister of Ogwu-Ikpele Kingdom, Chief Akaka Damian Aniagboso (Odua Ukwu of Ogwu-Ikpele) lamented bitterly over the endless hardship and sufferings meted to his subjects.
Aniagboso observed that the riverine community is blessed with abundance of agricultural and mineral resources including oil, but there’s nothing to show for the nature’s abundance.
The Odua Ukwu said: “Our oil is being explored and transferred to Niger Delta. This is ten good years SNEEPCO has been operating in our land, all the Memoranda of Understanding we signed with them, none has been done or reached.”
He revealed that fully-loaded four tanker ship of oil are being transferred each day to neighbouring states and huge revenue made from them, but the children of the community are left uneducated, unempowered, unemployed.
“They promised to give us scholarships from elementary, secondary, university, and up to Master’s Degree. It’s all a deceit. No hospital, no pipe-borne water, no electricity. We have made frantic efforts to Enugu Government and Anambra Government but they have neglected us. We are being seen as an oil community with natural wealth, but no basic amenities,” he said.
“Our women are rejected, no town hall, the ship that explores the oil has caused erosion near the river banks, leaving no fewer than over thirty houses submerged and fallen into the River Nigeria.” he added.
Earlier in his remark, the President General (PG) of Ogwu-Ikpele community, Esumai Patrick Chukwudi said the reason for the gathering and protest was to celebrate ten years of rejection, humiliation and insult from SNPEECO exploration company that has been mining oil in the area in the last ten years with nothing beneficial to the host community.
His words: “No employment, no road, no water, no hospital, nothing that is coming from them and we have been begging them since they started operations. The PIA is nothing to talk about. There is no metering that will ensure the quantity of oil being transferred, which affects the PIA
“Anambra state government cannot determine the amount of oil going out from the community because they laid pipes beneath the River Niger from where they move these oils across Delta State.