Delta Oil Community Issues Seven-day Ultimatum to NPDC

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The people of Polobubo Community of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) over the company’s dredging activity, which is threatening to shut the community from the rest of the world.

The oil producing community, also known as Tsekelewu, issued the ultimatum yesterday in Warri during a media conference to alert the Nigerian and international community to the situation vis-a-vis the alleged refusal of the NPDC to respond to the people’s plea for the company to intervene.

Specifically, the community is demanding that the NPDC should, within one week, consider and accept their request for formal, peaceful dialogue with the host community to address the critical issues about the dredging process.

Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community is a host community to the Opuama Flow Station within the OML 40 which is operated by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

Addressing the conference, President-General, Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council-Host Community to Opuama Flow-Station, Dr Bright Abulu, said that the indiscriminate dredging activities in the area by the NPDC has created an emergency situation for the people as the only channel in the waterway for people going out and coming in was being silted by the ongoing dredging.

“We wish to bring to your attention the emergency situation we have found ourselves as a community due to NPDC past and current dredging and oil & gas operations in the Opuama flow station and Polobubo (Tsekelewu) community axis and the refusal of the company to honor several invitations for a meeting with the Community leadership on how to address the hazardous effects of its dredging and sweeping operations on the access Waterways to Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community,” Abulu said.

He said that the action of the community was predicated on the failure of the NPDC to respond to letters sent by the community in the last five or six weeks.

“The Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council of the Host Community to Opuama Flow-Station had written to the NPDC Management on December 9, 2021 “requesting for a meeting to proffer solution on the negative impact of past and ongoing dredging activities on Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community and other sundry issues relating to its operations.”

“However, there was no response from the company beyond the official acknowledgement of the letter by the NPDC Managing Director’s office,” he said.

“A reminder letter was written on December 24, 2021 and was acknowledged by same office on December 31, 2021, but again there was no response. A third letter was sent on January 5, 2022 and acknowledged on the 7th, in which the national security agencies and the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, were copied, calling for a meeting to hold on January 10, 2022.

“Regrettably, as we speak, there has been no response from the company. NPDC/Elcrest have refused/failed to honor Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community invitations to a meeting intended to proffer solutions to the negative impact of the dredging of the main waterways on mobility and economic activities of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community. Yet the dredging project is going on unabated to the extent that an oil well drilling Rig has been moved into our territory to carry out extensive drilling operations.

“Consequent upon the inexplicable silence of the company, it has become imperative to call this press conference to alert the Management of NPDC, Delta State Government, Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Community of the danger our people are facing and the imminent physical blockade of the Community waterways as a result of artificial siltation and drying up of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community waterways by NPDC/Elcrest past and ongoing dredging activities, which is about to cut us off from the rest of the world. As you all know, our transportation system is by waterways; and, now that we are practically grounded as a result of the operations of NPDC/Elcrest, we can no longer remain silent.

“As a peaceful and law-abiding people, we hereby demand for NPDC to respect the right of the Community to exist and carry out its traditional and economic activities. Based on our aforementioned letters to NPDC management and increasing negative impact of the ongoing dredging on Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community, within seven (7) days of this press conference, the management of NPDC should invite the leadership of the Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community National Executive Council to a meeting to amicably resolve this issue. We believe that the company will appreciate this peaceful gesture by doing the needful without further delay”, Abulu stated.

Fielding questions from newsmen, the community leaders said they were unaware of any proper environmental impact assessment (EIA) prior to the commencement of the dredging operation unless such can be conducted without the participation of members of the community.

They called on the government intervene promptly and call the company to order, “else we will no longer be able to access our community.”

The community’s president-general further said: “The nation and international community, therefore, is put on notice by this press conference, that at the expiration of the seven day ultimatum on January 26, 2022 and the issues remain unresolved, we will be left with no other alternative but to shut down the NPDC/Elcrest operations within our God-given territory in OML 40.”