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As Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company allegedly “continues to ignore their legitimate demands,” the women of Nembe Kingdom, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have stressed intention to carry out a larger protest on the expiration of their two-week ultimatum.
It would be recalled that the women had protested the insensitivity of Aiteo to the plight of the Nembe people at the company’s loading point at Nembe Creek on Friday, July 12.
Despite the outrage expressed by the women, the Nembe Kingdom said the company is yet to address the pertinent issues particularly the award of oil pipeline surveillance jobs to community recommended contractors.
Solomon Ockiya, Secretary General of the Nembe Chiefs Council, accused Aiteo of continuing its policy of dividing the community by awarding surveillance contracts to its cronies who refuse to tell the company the truth.
Ockiya said “Aiteo does not want to meet the rightful demands of our people so the women will protest again. They don’t want to award the surveillance contract to those recommended by the community.
“The company we are recommending has qualified people with security background who will do the job better than those other people. It has a retired rear admiral, people who have served in DSS, retired police officers and people with military background.”
The community had recommended a company that is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to handle the surveillance job for better management and greater employment inclusivity.
“The surveillance job is community based meaning it is a community contract, therefore, Aiteo should accept the community recommended contracting firm and not impose a contractor upon us to destabilise the community”, he stated.
Ockiya alleged that rather than award the surveillance contract, some people in the company were subletting the surveillance job to those being used against the community thereby keeping a substantial part of the contract fee for themselves.
According to him, Aiteo is using one man to work against the community, an issue he said was not acceptable to the Nembe people hence the planned takeover of the loading platform by the women on expiration of the two-week ultimatum.
Asari Donald Mangite, Paramount Ruler of Oni community in Nembe Kingdom, also condemned the antics of Aiteo in the award of the surveillance jobs to contractors not recommended by the community.
Mangite also lent support for the planned protest by the women of the kingdom as according to him, it has become imperative because the company has continued to ignore the rightful demands of the Nembe people.
Egi George, Secretary, Concerned Citizens of Nembe, said provision of electricity and water to the people is paramount recalling that before the divestment of OML 29, Shell used to award scholarships and renovate schools.
He said it is important for the company to award the surveillance contract to a firm recommended by the community so that it will in turn employ the youth in order to ensure peace in the area.
It was gathered that since the events leading up to the July 12 protest by the women, the relationship between Aiteo and the host community has worsened as the company has failed to meet its obligations in several respects.
Apart from the vexing issue of the award of surveillance jobs, the company has not paid the contractor supplying diesel outstanding debts for one year resulting in an avoidable blackout in the community.
A community source warned that if the “situation, if not addressed urgently, it may soon affect water supply the city soon.”
There has been no move to address the outcome of the June 17 oil spill which industry regulators who conducted the JIV said was caused by equipment failure at the company’s loading point at Nembe Creek.
It was further gathered that there has been no medical aid, relief materials, assessment for compensation for those impacted by the spill and that Aiteo is yet to carry out an environmental impact assessment at the Nembe Creek Crude Oil Export Terminal.
It is understood that the growing anger and frustration of the people is as a result of a long list of outstanding oil spills with JIVs conducted yet compensation, relief materials or medical supplies.
The showdown between Nembe Kingdom and Aiteo could affect its 50 million barrels per day production as the women had vowed to occupy the loading point with their children on expiration of the two-week ultimatum this Friday.
