Protesters Cripple Pan Ocean Activities In Delta

Hundreds of protesters from Ovade-Oghara Community in Ethiope West local government area of Delta State on Friday grounded operations of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited (PANOCO).

The protesters who stormed the company premises around 5:30am over alleged gross neglect, underdevelopment and sacking of some of their youths by the oil firm, said they would remain in the company yard until their demands are met.

They accused Pan Ocean of insensitive to the plight of the locals despite their over 45 years operations in the area.

Some of the placard bore have the inscriptions: “Pan Ocean should go”, “Pan Ocean leave our land for us” , “Enough is Enough” ,”the marriage between Pan Ocean Oil Company and Ovade Community Oghara is heading for a divorce due to Neglect and suffering of the people over 40 years of oil exploration and exploitation”, “Fadeyi leave us alone” , Re-instate our sack youths” among others.

The Chairman of the Community Mr. Hitler Igbakpa, the Secretary Hon.
Odeh Oghominene Festus, Chief Simeon Ogheneovo Odeh, the Chief Prince
of Oghara Kingdom and others who addressed journalists said after
about 45 years of oil exploration from Ovade Community by Pan Ocean
Oil Corporation, what they have in return is the systematic, malicious
and provocative under development of their community and people.

The trio maintained that due to  the prolong oil exploration/exploitation from
their domain by PANOCO, their one time arable/fertile land, is currently suffering from a severe environmental (ecological) degradation.

They explained further that having suffered from a prolonged history
of persistent and consistent chain of Institutionalized oppression,
suppression, victimization, marginalization and discrimination from
Pan Ocean Oil Corporation in different realms of development after all precious failed peace settlement
including the very one supervised  by the Governor of Delta State Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, which they (Company) failed to honour.

Mr. Igbakpa added that before this protest which they termed the
(mother of all) could be called off, Pan Ocean should embark on the immediate/unconditional re-instatement of their son Mr. Tobore Hosanna whom they laid off sometime ago.

The protesters also demanded the finalization of the writing/signing of Global memorandum of understanding (GMOU) with the Community, the immediate upgrade, re-reticulate and extension of existing moribund water project in Ovade Community including the immediate commencement of the construction of an access (Link) road
between Ovade Community and Ovade Oghara flow station, Gas Plant which
was the reasons for their protest.

Mr. Igbakpah, while appealing to the youths to remain calm, he said
“the youths should ensure that the protest is peaceful, they should
desist from any act of lawlessness which is capable of truncating
their original plans, we must actualize our aim with the drop of our
blood and we must remain in the premises of the company both night and day until our demands are met” he added.

A youth leader, Mr. Andrew Onomroba, who also bared his mind, said,
the youths have also suffered from employment from the Company which
employed people from other parts of the country whereas they have all
kinds of skilled personnel to be employed to work in the company
instead of the occasional un-skilled labour they employed from their
community.

But for the swift intervention  of the Divisional Police Officer of
Oghara station C.S.P Tomitope Fashugba and Military men from 19
battalion Koko who arrived the company as early as 7:30 am to pacified
fray nerves, some of the youths who were already spoiling for war
would have truncated the original plans of their elders by turning the
company to a war theatre.

When contacted on phone the public relations officers of the company
Mr. Adijola Banji said the company is working hard to make peace with
the host community and at the  right time, they will issue a
statement to the media on the ongoing situation.