Following the attack on crude oil pipelines along the Dibi-Olero-Abiteye Fields last weekend, Prince Collins Edema, the Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri and Liaison Officer to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Joint Venture partners, has restated the Itsekiri nation’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for oil multinationals, including Chevron Nigeria Limited.
In a statement made available to reporters in Warri, Prince Edema condemned the destruction, describing it as “alien to the ideology of the struggle of the Itsekiri Nation, which aims to secure better employment, infrastructure, and welfare for our people.”
Edema said: “It has come to the knowledge of the Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison Officer to NNPCL and its JV Partners that there is a palpable air of disenchantment with Chevron Nigeria Limited over issues of employment of people of the host communities, particularly in the three Warris of Warri South-West, Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas, advocacy, this office has actively been engaging with Chevron to accommodate Itsekiri people.
“While His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri, empathizes with Chevron over the recent attack on its pipelines in the Dibi-Olero-Abiteye trunk line and Flow Stations, it is important to use this opportunity to appeal to our youths to remain calm, as this office is actively engaging Chevron over unresolved unemployment issues
“We understand that our youths are frustrated over the situation that portrays Chevron is taking people from Host Communities for granted, but such frustration cannot be allowed to metamorphose into such lawless behaviour as attacking critical assets by any of our people.
“We restate our commitment to a safe and warm operational environment to Chevron and other IOCs in Itsekiri land, even as we trust that security agencies will spare no stone unturned in fishing out perpetrators of the pipeline destruction.
“It is also noteworthy to mention that the condemnable incident is not connected to the legal channels our people have been exploring to address lingering employment issues with Chevron.
“We shall continue to engage with Chevron to find ways of absorbing qualified Itsekiris into the crude oil giant and other oil and gas companies operating in Warri Kingdom.”
Meanwhile, Itsekiri leaders of Dibi/Olero oil field host communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, have also condemned the blast on the trunk line.
The leaders who cut across 14 communities, described the Niger Delta Liberation Movement (NDLM), which claimed responsibility for the destruction, as “faceless” in a statement.
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Among the communities’ leaders were Chief Francis Omatseye, Chief Mike Odeli, Evangelist Tony Aderojo, Canaan Ajagbawa, Itse Orugboh, Simeon Iluwa, Dr. Jeffrey Wilkie, Dr. Eyide Michael Ugeoritsete, David Odeli, Isaac Dorsu, Billy Ofesi, Duris Orugboh, Eniyan Tonwe, Roland Ukuesan and Jerry Atiene.
They declared the group’s action as “not only reckless but also detrimental to the environment, the local economy and the livelihoods of residents.”
Calling on security agencies to intensify efforts in apprehending the suspects, they dissociated the communities from them, stating, “We must not allow criminal elements to exploit or use false narratives to create divisions or disrupt the harmonious relationship between the host communities and Chevron that we have worked hard to build over the years.