7 communities in the oil rich Delta state have given oil companies a 7 day ultimatum to leave their abode or in their own words, 'face dire consequences'
The Delta State communities, namely; Diebiri, Egbema, Gbaramatu, Iduwini, Ogbe-Ijoh, Ogulagha and Kou kingdoms, are hosts to flow-stations and well heads operated by Agip, Neconde Energy Ltd, Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Shell Development Petroleum Company (SPDC).
These communities have called on foreign embassies in Nigeria to advise their nationals in their territories to evacuate their personnel and contractors as their safety would no longer be guaranteed henceforth.
This new statement by the communities was signed by Comrade Sherif Mulade and 20 other representatives of the various communities and made available to the Nigerian Tribune.
The communities have also called on the Delta State government to release the alleged N300 billion owed the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission (DESOPADEC) meant for the development of the communities.
The statement read in part, “Having carefully and painstakingly studied the executive bill at the floor of the Delta State House of Assembly on the proposed DESOPADEC Amendment Bill, we, in strong terms, condemn and reject the bill in its entirety as it seeks to rip us off of the 13 percent derivation fund given to the oil and gas producing communities in the state.
“The bill is inimical to the principle of derivation and insensitive to the peculiarities of the oil-producing communities.
“Therefore, we will not fold our arms and watch the Delta State government to take away our economic and political right by way of politicising the 13 per cent derivation fund meant to develop our communities through DESOPADEC.”
Recently, the Ijaw nation said they will initiate the process of renegotiating the basis of their coexistence with other ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Even as the former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has appealed to Ijaw people to go back to fishing in order to reduce the region’s dependence on oil.