By Ovedhe Jerry
YAYOROGBENE COMMUNITY has accused Tenoil Petroleum and EnergyServices Limited of inciting conflict among host communities in Ekorooil well OPL281 operations, saying that the company was adoptingdivide and rule in it ongoing negotiations and that may likely tocreate avoidable tension in the area.
Addressing news conference in WARRI, A community leader Comr Austin
Ozobo told newsmen that officials of the company was not fair to his
community in the ongoing negotiation in the area.
He said despite series of letters written to the company it remains
adamant over resolving contentious issues on its place of operations.
Our source revealed that tension is brewing among various communities
in the area apart from Yayorogbene having logger head over Tenoil
Operations in Ekoro.
According to Comr Ozobo, he said the brewing tension is surmountable
if the company can do what is right. He warned the company against
having dealings with non-indigenes in Ekoro, and that they were the
rightful people to be accord with host community status.
He clarified that the present occupants in Ekoro are no-indigenes of
the place and at such they lack statutory rights to enter negotiation
or discuss any land related matter in Ekoro.
In a letter written to the Governor of Delta State,Dr Emmanuel
Uduaghan, through the office of the Honorable Commissioner of Oil and
Gas, Delta State by the community lawyer Omes Ogedegbe, dated on the
9th February 2015 entitled A Case Of Surmountable Breach of Public
Peace, with Attendance Effect Of Igniting Chaos, Crisis And Violence
Arising From The Divide and Rule Policy Orchestrated By Ten oil
Petroleum And Energy Services Limited Against Yayorogbene As Host
Community in Ekoro Oil Operations.
In the referenced letter, the community however accused Tenoil of
divide and rule which may amount to surmountable crisis in the place.
The community lawyer Ogedegbe (Esq.) in his letter affirmed that the
company has deliberately chosen to Ignored the issues raised by it
clients after receiving series of letters from it clients.
He condemned the act of the company as such was mendacious and provocative.
The lawyer asserted that there is already ongoing attempt to sidelined
it clients through a conspired effort and such is a threat to public
peace and infringement of it client rights in Ekoro.
The lawyer said it clients would lawfully contend their status as host
community until they are given fair hearing. He further said it
clients were regretted and highly raged over the demeaning treatment
mounted on them by official s of the company.
