By Emma Arubi (Warri)
The Abigborodo community in Warri North Local Government Council Area of Delta State have shutdown an ongoing pipeline laying project of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited in their community for allegedly not employing their indigenes, taking sides with another neighboring community and refusing to enter into dialogue with them.
The peaceful protesters also accused the company of deliberately creating unwarranted communal crisis in the area through a divide and rule tactics, saying that they can no longer tolerate the injustice and oppression.
The placards bearing protesters with various inscriptions such as: “Seplat employ our youths or stop work”, Seplat don’t take side, the land belong to Abigborodo”, Seplat come to compromise with us” and so on stormed the project site around 11am and stopped all workers on site requesting them to call the management of the company to come and address them in the community before work can resume.
Seplat Government engaged military personnel led by Sgt.H. Musa later came to witness the peaceful protest, charging them to remain peaceful and orderly while he return to convey their message to the company.
Speaking to newsmen on the matter, the Abigborodo Community Trust Chairman Hon. (Barr) Misan Ukubeyinje said the community have written series of letters to Seplat over these issues at stake for many years with the company not responding to their demand for dialogue to amicably resolve the issues stating that “Seplat compelled us into this action. We shall continue to shutdown work at the site until the management come to the community to dialogue with us. We have been taken for granted for too long. We are tired. Enough is enough”, he assured.
According to Barr. Ukubeyinje, even if the ownership of the land is in dispute and Seplat is executing a project on it, it should deal with both contending parties on equal basis and should not been seen to be taking sides to our detriment.
“The land is ours by all record. We have the documents. We are only fervently awaiting Government White Paper on it following the various report and Inquiries into the true ownership of the land in dispute. We are in Warri North Local Government and not in Sapele LGA. Seplat knows this but is only feigning ignorance and fanning the embers of disunity of communal conflict between both communities. When they are ready and prepared to hold discussion with us we shall allow them to continue their job. This is our demand”, He noted.
No official of Seplat came to the project site to address the protesters and non could also be reached for comments on the matter as at the time filing this report.
