From Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has sought the cooperation of the Rivers State government to resolve the dispute between Oluasiri clan in Bayelsa State and their Kalabari neighbours in Rivers State.

The Oluasiri communities in Nembe Local Government Area of the state and their Kalabari Ijaw kinsmen are locked in a dispute that arose from the location of oil wells within their boundary.

Diri spoke yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, at a meeting with leaders of Oluasiri clan, led by their paramount ruler, Chief Iyerite Awululu, according to a statement by the governor’s Acting Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah.

The governor also sought the support of Ijaw leaders and elders to resolve the age-long feud between the two Ijaw communities.

He promised that the state government would protect its territories and work with the communities to ensure tight security.

Diri said: “I’m calling on my brother governor of our sister-state that this is a time we need to look at the realities. As a people from the old Rivers State, we need to sit together and resolve our internal disputes, which should be easy to do because both feuding communities are of the Ijaw extraction.

“We have no difference between the Nembe and the Kalabari. They are all Ijaw, and so no other person should beat the drums of war against two friendly Ijaw clans.”

The governor directed his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to chair a peace committee to resolve the boundary adjustment dispute.

He restated his administration’s resolve to ensure the protection of lives and property across all communities in the state.

The governor said his administration wouldm engage security agencies on the need to curtail acts of lawlessness, particularly in the Oluasiri axis of the state.

Diri assured the Oluasiri that his administration would work with the Navy for an interim security arrangement pending when a substantive police station would be established in the area.

Responding to a request by the Oluasiri, the governor directed the Commissioners for Health and Water Resources to make the cottage hospital built by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) functional and provide potable water to the area.

The clan’s spokesman Iniruo Wills highlighted a number of issues that required government’s intervention.

Wills, a former Commissioner for Information and later Environment, said the meeting was called to seek assistance for security, resolution of the legal dispute between the two sister-states on boundary delineation, among others.

From Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Members of Agbidiama Community Youth Council, host of Opukushi, Tunu and Clough Creek flow stations operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have shut down activities at Opukushi flow station.

President of the aggrieved youths in Ekeremor community, Torke Ekpetun, said after Thursday’s action, the youths called for dialogue to resolve the face-off between them and the oil major.

He explained that the protest followed the refusal of the oil service companies operating in the area to meet their development obligations to the community.

Ekpetun said the obligations included provision of jobs and empowerment of the residents, engagement of a non-indigenous firm by Shell for catering services, and neglect of community leaders by the oil major’s management.

SPDC’s Media Relations Manager Bamidele Odugbesan said the oil company valued a cordial relationship with its host communities and would not do anything to jeopardise this.

He said: “It is a long-standing policy of SPDC to provide opportunities for its host communities, including but not limited to community contracts, scholarships at different levels, economic empowerment programmes, such as LiveWIRE, healthcare support, like the Oloibiri Health Programme and COVID-19 equipment donations to Bayelsa and other states.

“We also have GMoU community development programme that funds community projects decided by the communities.

“As we strive for a stronger relationship with our host communities, we are open to discussions on any complaints for an amicable resolution.”

From Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Over 85 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Rivers State have urged the National Assembly to review the amended Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.

The CSOs, which met in Port Harcourt under the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCP), said their review of the law exposed sections with negative implications and grave consequences.

According to them, the amended Act was designed to stifle the civil space, stop operations of vocal associations, and give the government excessive powers to operate without the watchdog role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre Fyneface Dumnamene said sections 838, 839, 842 of CAMA 2020 contradicted the constitutionally protected liberties, particularly freedom of association.

Dumnamene said: “CAMA 2020 establishes a new form of eminent domain. The recently-added provisions appear to be fixated on enlarging governmental powers to suspend and remove the trustees of an association’s property and bank credit.

“The Corporate Affairs Commission’s (CAC’s) powers to unilaterally disrupt and displace the expressed intentions and aspirations of the members relegated the constitution or memorandum of an association, rendering it purgatory.

“The new functions of CAC duplicate the roles of existing regulatory agencies charged with uncovering and punishing financial crimes, such as Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) and Economic Financial Commission (EFCC).”

Dumnamene said complying with the new rule would be onerous, time-consuming and possibly ineffective.

From Bassey Anthony, UYO

Traders at Itam market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, have threatened to shut the market for alleged harassment by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Market women and men alleged that Customs officials, in collaboration with operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) and soldiers, raided the market at the weekend and seized items worth N163 million.

Chairman of Itam Market Board of Trustees Godwin Ebong, who addressed reporters yesterday, said the officials invaded the market about 11pm.

He said: “About 11pm on Friday, one of the guards called me that robbers were in the market. He said they broke one of the gates with their guns. When the guards approached them, they said ‘we are not for you’.

“They said they were on national assignment and so packed goods into about 10 vehicles. We discovered the following morning that more than 40 shops were burgled while goods, including foreign rice, beans, groundnut oil, were taken away.

“We have written to the National Security Adviser (NSA) and given the government seven days to return our goods and money or we will shut the market and go on a peaceful protest.

“I am against sales of foreign rice, but the question is how does the rice get into Akwa Ibom? Were there no customs when it was brought into Akwa Ibom? We should also know that these traders are interested in profit and when people make demands for such goods, they go to any extent to get it for their customers.”

On why traders keep cash in the market, Ebong said: ‘Most of our traders do not have bank accounts because they collect goods on credit and pay later. So, it is difficult for them to carry cash about when they know they will settle their creditors the next day.”

But NCS said the operation was carried out by the Presidency under the Office of National Security Adviser.

Operations Comptroller Tunku Lokoja said any explanation on the operations would be given by their office in Calabar.

He said: “The operation was carried out at the instance of the National Security Adviser, and we are not under them. I am hearing of it from you. I don’t have any information on whatever they took from the market, you should contact our Calabar office…”

Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Market, Trade and Investment Idorenyin Raphael condemned the approach adopted by the security operatives.

The governor’s Special Adviser Capt Iniobong Ekong (rtd) said the team, identified as border control from Office of the National Security Adviser, confirmed it was responsible for the raid.

He condemned the timing and vandalisation.

From Elo Edremoda, Warri

Residents of Benikrukru in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Warri South-West Local Government in Delta State have called on Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to shelve plans of relocating the Abiteye Field Security House Boat.

Leaders, elders, women and youths of Benikrukru stormed Abiteye Oil Field yesterday to  protest the ‘inhuman treatment, oppression and marginalisation of the people’.

Abiteye Security House Boat is located at Abiteye Oil Field, which produces 42,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria Ltd own 60 and 40 per cent shares of it.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions like ‘Chevron, recognise our welders and fitters’ and ‘Chevron, stop the divide and rule system’. They chanted solidarity songs and demanded a stop to environmental degradation.

Chairman and Secretary-General of the community Boan Eris and Kingsley Ukulu, who led the protest, urged CNL’s Managing Director Jeffrey Ewing to contract labour and catering services to indigenes.

They demanded contracts for crane and forklift supply, supply of in-house equipment, diesel and marine transport service.

“The main drive for this protest is about movement of the house boat. The house boat is the only material that Chevron released to us to make income monthly. As we speak, they are about to move the house boat away which will  leave the community in hunger. We are saying the house boat should remain,” Eris pleaded.

Women’s leader Elizabeth Lagbo warned that there will be no peace in the area if CNL refused to employ their women and youths.

A representative of Abiteye, an extension of Benikrukru, Austin Ojo, appealed to Chevron to heed their demands to avert a shutdown of the facility.

Representative of  Abiteye Platform Supervisor Francis hailed the people for their peaceful protest, promising to take their message to the appropriate quarters.

“I thank you for this peaceful protest. I assure you that Chevron is socially responsible. Whatever demands you have brought will be communicated to the appropriate quarters and in no time, you will hear from us,” he added.