By Francis Sadhere
The refusal of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, and the National Oil Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, to identify with the executives of Erhioke community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, has stalled the Joint Investigation Visit, JIV, of the impacted area of a recent oil spill in the community.
The JIV which was fixed for Thursday October 2 by the NPDC and NOSDRA could not hold simply because the Officials of the companies failed to identify themselves with the Erhoike Community’s Executives and the Press on ground.
Other factors that militated against the JIV are as result of the fact that the Officials of the companies arrived the community in a Hiace Bus at about 3pm with four truck load of soldiers led by Lt. Jatau. The Officials of the NPDC and NOSDRA it was gathered did not come with any kits(safety boots, rain- oats, shovels etc)to indicate their preparedness for the JIV.
On arrival, they just drove to the scene where the spill occurred and began to negotiate with some members of the community who also disapprove of the JIV taking place.
Minutes later, Officials of NPDC and NOSDRA drove off in a convoy with the soldiers to Atagbuweh Community in Kokori Community which we gathered shares boundary with Erhoike Community to check where another spill was detected.
But when the NPDC and NOSDRA Officials returned, they came with some persons suspected to be from Atagbuweh and Uwhurhie another neighbouring communities which also shares boundary with Erhoike
Community and requested that each of the communities present should nominate three persons each to represent them in the JIV exercise.
But Erhoike President General and his Assistant Secretary General, Mr. Matthew Oyibocha and Comrade John Ikushoni respectively, turned down the request insisting that things should be done the way they were supposed to be done.
“Things cannot be done this way. This is our land and nobody can tell us who our leader is. We are here to show you our leader. If they really want to conduct this JIV, they should come to our community and discuss with us first before anything can happen. ” says the President General, Mr. Oyibocha.
The Erhoike Community Executives claimed that the NPDC and NOSDRA Officials did not inform them and their lawyer that they were coming to conduct a JIV, stressing that instead, they went ahead to inform a factional executive led by one Inspector Evaurherhe who they did not recognize as their leader.
Mr. Oyibocha who said that the spill was within the NPDC right-of-Way, accused NPDC and NOSDRA Officials of having a “clandestine ageda” which is not known to them.
According to him, “they are supposed to see us first at the town hall, introduce themselves to us before embarking on the JIV to determine the extent of the damage the oil spill has caused to the
community.”
The community Executive who described their relationships with NPDC as not cordial since it took over from Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, expressed surprise that NPDC suddenly declined relating with them and started relating with the other factions which they claimed are not members of the community.
They alleged that the duo of John Efegoma and High Chief Duke Owho who are believed to be from Kokori Community, are the ones allegedly instigating the people of Atagbuwhe and Uwhurhie Communities against Erhoike Community.
Mr. Oyibocha therefore, called on relevant government agencies to prevail on the matter and save the
situation from degenerating into a communal war.
According to a source who came with the NPDC and NOSDRA Officials and who preferred anonymity confirmed to Our Correspondent that they came to see if “the community would be provoked by their presence so that the government, NPDC,NOSDRA and Soldiers” can used it against them.
Prior to the arrival of the NPDC and NOSDRA Officials, the Erhoike Community Women and Children staged a peaceful protest half naked along the main road as they drag drums of diesel with soldiers on ground.
Women leader of the Community, Madam Maria Akpochimora explained that they were dragging the drums of diesel with the soldiers so that they cannot power the NPDC facility which caused the spill.
Madam Akpochimora said if they allow the soldiers to go in with their diesel, the essence of their protest would have been defeated. She also told Newsmen that the women will not allow the NPDC Workers access to work on the facility site.
Earlier, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col.Kenneth. E. Chigbu who spoke with Our Correspondent via the phone of Lt. Jatau said “my men are under my orders to deal with anybody who tries to stop my men from filling the diesel into the facility so that it will not be shutdown. I don’t have problems with the women staging a peaceful protest. But nobody should dare stop my soldiers and use it against them. This is the grace they are having”.
According to National Reformer investigations, Erhoike Community, a small community with no less than fifty 20 houses, has not gained anything from the oil that is being drilled from their land since 1968. There is no school, no health care centre and other social amenities. NPDC who took over from Shell did not have any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community before they started operation. This has undermined the community as a host community to NPDC who have refused to fulfil their social coperate responsibilities.
