Ijaw communities give oil multinationals 7 days to park off

Ijaw communities of Diebiri, Egbema, Gbaramatu, Iduwini, Ogbe-Ijoh, Ogulagha and Kou kingdoms, in Delta State, have given oil multinationals operating in their territory seven days to vacate or face dire consequences.

The Ijaw communities are hosts to flow-stations and well heads operated by Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Neconde Energy Ltd, Shell Development Petroleum Company (SPDC) and Agip.

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In a press release signed by Comrade Sherif Mulade and 20 other representatives of the Ijaw kingdom, made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, in Warri, the communities called on foreign embassies to advise their nationals in the Ijaw territories to vacate their personnel and contractors as their safety would no longer be guaranteed.

 The Ijaw communities also called on the Delta State government to release N300 billion owed the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission (DESOPADEC) meant for the development of the communities.

According to the statement, the ongoing hearing of the DESOPADEC amendment bill at the state House of Assembly is a keg of gunpowder with devastating consequences if not discontinued.

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“Having carefully and painstakingly studied the executive bill at the floor of the Delta State House of Assembly on the proposed DESOPADEC Amendment Bill, we, in strong terms, condemn and reject the bill in its entirety as it seeks to rip us off of the 13 per cent derivation fund given to the oil and gas producing communities in the state.

“The bill is inimical to the principle of derivation and insensitive to the peculiarities of the oil-producing communities.

“Therefore, we will not fold our arms and watch the Delta State government to take away our economic and political right by way of politicising the 13 per cent derivation fund meant to develop our communities through DESOPADEC,” the statement read in part.

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