The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EPZ

  • $16b EPZ: Tompolo’s men sack site workers in Delta

    Gunmen, said to be loyal to former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), at the weekend chased away workers on the Madangho site of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project, Ogidigben, Delta State.

    The site workers were said to have been hired by an Itsekiri contractor and owner of JAD Catering.

    It was learnt that JAD Catering, a company belonging to a former chairman of Warri Southwest Local Government Area, was clearing the Madangho stretch of the project site when the gunmen chased them away.

    Tompolo reportedly got the clearing of the EPZ site at the Kpokpo axis; Chief Thomas Ereyitomi secured the other stretch of the clearing contract, leaving the Madangho site to JAD Catering.

    Attempts to get the comments of Tompolo’s lieutenant, Paul Bebenimibo, on the incident, were unsuccessful.

    His terse response to our correspondent’s questions was: “You are mischievous.”

    A source, who attributed the incident to Tompolo’s men, said the incident occurred at 3pm on Saturday.

    He said the workers were clearing the site when they were allegedly chased away at gun point by Tompolo’s men, who demanded compensation.

    It was learnt that although there were military men on the site, they watched the militants shoot severally into the air to scare the JAD workers.

    “The workers, who were clearing the site, were chased away by gun-wielding militants of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo over compensation.

    “They came in a large number while the military men on the project site looked away as the militants shot sporadically into the air to scare the JAD workers on site,” the source said.

    The Chairman of Ugborodo Interface Committee, Austin Oborogbeyi, could not be reached for comments last night.

  • $16b EPZ project: Jonathan to perform ground-breaking soon

    $16b EPZ project: Jonathan to perform ground-breaking soon

    President Goodluck Jonathan has finally agreed to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of the $16 billion Delta Gas City Project next week Thursday.

    The project, also known as the Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Ogidigben, had generated ethnic tension among the Itsekiri of Ugborodo on the one hand and Itsekiri and  Ijaw on the other hand.

    The tension had led to several postponements in the official ground-breaking ceremony dates by the president which fueled feelings that he was taking sides with his Ijaw kinsmen against the Itsekiri nation.

    But the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, at a stakeholders’ meeting held yesterday in Asaba, the state’s capital said President Jonathan had agreed to the Thursday date, which he said would not fail like the previous experiences.

    The Nation gathered that all the stakeholders at the meeting, including the Itsekiri, Ijaw of Gbaramatu Kingdom; both in Warri Southwest council area and the Ijaw of Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu council area, agreed to allow a peaceful atmosphere for the ceremony.

    An Itsekiri representative at the meeting, Alex Eyengho confirmed the development to our correspondent when contacted. Eyengho applauded the choice of the new date saying that the purpose of the meeting with the governor was to announce to stakeholders and host communities that Mr. President has fixed March 26 for the groundbreaking ceremony.

    Eyengho, who is also a member of the Ugborodo Community/EPZ Interface Committee, noted that the most important thing is that the project is commissioned explaining that just like Escravos Gas to Liquids (EGTL) project, the project will be beneficial to host and impacted communities when it officially commenced operation.

    He said: “The agenda of today’s meeting which was called by Governor Uduaghan was clear. It was to officially inform all stakeholders that the groundbreaking ceremony has been fixed for Thursday March 26 which is next week by Mr President. It was also to appeal and solicit for the commitment of all to ensure that there are no awkward activities especially breakdown of peace during the visit.

    “The truth is that there is difference between host community and impacted community. I think people are now beginning to understand. The principal host community of EPZ project is Ogidigben people in Ugborodo. It is Ugborodo’s people that government acquires land from; there is no doubt about that while every other community is impacted community.

    “The buttom line is that everybody will benefit from the project. All impacted community in the EGTL project benefited and this is no different.”

  • EPZ: Itsekiri community threatens suit

    Another Itsekiri community, Aja-Edede, has vowed to stop the EPZ project through the courts, if it is left out of future discussions.

    An open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, signed by Pa John Edede Yonwuren, said Delta State and the Federal Government were carrying on as if the land belonged to Ugborodo and Gbaramatu alone, saying a large portion belonged to Aja-Edede.

    According to the letter, Aja-Edede was consulted in the past and met with the government, but wondered why the government abandoned it, dealing with only Ugborodo and Gbaramatu.

    “Any further attempt to sidetrack Aja–Edede in discussions will be resisted; justice, fairness and equity must prevail.

    ‘’The Delta State government and the Federal Government, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), must respect the property rights of Aja-Edede

    “The Ugborodo and Gbaramatu people are not the only stakeholders; they represent their various communities and not any other. Aja-Edede is at a loss why it was not invited to the meeting with Mr. President though Ugborodo and Gbaramatu were invited.

    “This is not acceptable to Aja-Edede community; if not consulted, we will use all legal means to scuttle the ground-breaking ceremony”, Yonwuren stated.

    The state government had been meeting with stakeholders from Ugborodo, Gbaramatu, Sokebolou/Yokri, Ikpokpo, Aja-Edede and Illaje on the EPZ to find a way forward for the take-off of the project but recently narrowed down the meeting to the two communities.

     

     

     

     

  • EPZ: Delta communities to fight exclusion from project

    THE people of Sokebolou and Yokiri communities in Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu Local government Area of Delta State have vowed to resist any attempt by the state and federal governments to leave them out of acquisition of land and naming of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project.

    They said no acre or metre of the Sokebolou and Yokiri communities’ lands would be allowed to be used for the EPZ project without their consent.

    The communities spoke a protest on Monday.

    They said the protest was staged because they were left out of those invited for a dialogue at Abuja on Monday to proffer solutions to the challenges bedevilling the project.

    Abanre Friday and Samuel Powoide, Chairmen of Sokebolou and Yokiri communities, said: “The Sokebolou and Yokiri federated communities of Ogulagha Kingdom, with their other communities at Agbromagbene, Bomoupetepete, Oloseimo-Ere and Adedegbene, are stakeholders, as their land are involved in the proposed land for the EPZ project.

    “We want to inform the whole world that the officials of the Delta State Government of Itsekiri origin have failed to perform their duties; rather, they continue to pursue an Itsekiri agenda that is capable of upturning the existing peace in our area.

    “We, therefore, oppose to the naming of the EPZ project after only the Itsekiri without recognition of the Ijaw of Ogulagha and Gbaramatu. We, the people of Ogulagha Kingdom, are equal stakeholders and want everybody to know that any decision taken on the naming of EPZ without our input shall not be binding on us. To make the representation of the Ijaw complete, the state government should constitute an Ogulagha Interface Committee, as requested for since May, 2014.”

  • Ugborodo: EPZ panel chair seeks peace

    The Chairman of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Ogidigben Interface Committee, Austin Oboroegbeyi, has decried the renewed violence and destruction of property in Ugborodo communities.

    He urged the warring factions to embrace peace.

    The crisis has spread to Warri town.

    Oboroegbeyi said the destruction of property is alien to Ugborodo people, stressing that their tradition not only frowns at it, but also sanctions anyone that destroys people’s belongings.

    He said the efforts of the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, (NNS), Delta, Navy Capt Musa Gemu, on July 26, made it possible for displaced people to return to their communities.

    “Ugborodo’s major challenge is to be united and face external problems. I enjoin the parties to settle their rift amicably and embrace peace,” Oboroegbeyi added.

    He recalled that the crisis began years ago, adding that it was not caused by the Ogidigben EPZ Interface Committee comprising representatives from both factions.

    According to him, since its inauguration, it has made efforts to promote peace in Ugborodo.