Ijaw Youths Vow to Close Down Oil Facilities

Barely weeks after President Goodluck Jonathan made an unscheduled visit to Warri, Delta State, to proffer a lasting solution to disagreements over the $16 billion gas city project located in the state, the project is again under a fresh threat.

The Ogulagha Clan Youth Association (OCYA) in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State has threatened to shut down all oil and gas operations in Ogulagha Kingdom for alleged non-inclusion as stakeholders in the $16b Ogidigben Gas City Project.

On his visit to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II, the president acknowledged the difference between the Ijaw and Itsekiri over the project and had explained that the groundbreaking ceremony that had been severally postponed would still take place.

Jonathan however advised Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to liaise with the Olu of Warri and other stakeholders, including the Ijaw communities' leaders to address the issues before the rescheduling of the groundbreaking ceremony before May 29, 2015.

Nevertheless, in a statement signed by Mr John Bebapere, National President; Humphery Oluku, secretary and Ebikeme Abanre (public relations officer), and made available to newsmen in Warri on Monday, the Ijaw group said that they own 60% of the total land acquired for the project and accused Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of colluding with his Itsekiri kinsmen to deny them of their rights.

The group said that despite a series of publications by them on the matter, the government has failed to recognize them as critical stakeholders like their Gbaramatu brothers, describing the action as “unholy, evil–minded, inimical, unjust, oppressive and highly condemnable in its entirety”.

“Angered by this act of exclusion, we have vowed to fully mobilize all our youths in the kingdom to halt all oil and gas exploration and production activities of SPDC, Chevron, Agip and Brittania-UNigeria Limited", the statement said. "This disruption will be total and inclusive of all contracting firms operating within Ogulagha kingdom if the EPZ stakeholders do not rescind their decision to exclude Ogulagha communities and grant them equal opportunities like the Itsekiris and Gbaramatu Ijaws”.