“Do The Needful Or Face Our Wrath” – Ndoshimili Tells FG, Oil Companies

The Ndoshimili Indigenous People of Ndokwa East, (NIPONE), in Delta State, have given the Federal Government and oil multinational companies two week ultimatum to address their grievance or face the wrath of the people.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the group and former House of Representative member, Dr. Olise Imegwu and his Secretary, Dr. Adaobi Ugbomeh and seven others.

According to the people, if the government failed to do the needful at the end of the ultimatum, starting from today, Friday, the people would be left with no other option than to take their destiny in their hands.

They lamented continuous marginalization of the oil producing area in the scheme of things in the federation.

“Our people have decided to challenge the authorities and the oil companies operating in our area, if our demands are not addressed, within two weeks”, Imegwu said.

“It is painful to note that although our communities are awash with oil wells, the ownership of such can’t be traced to any of our people.

“We have also been denied the benefits of being host to several oil and gas facilities including playing host to a multi billion naira Independent Power Plant.

“We, as a people have today, resolved to take immediate steps to right these wrongs”, the statement reads

The statement listed some of the demands to include; “the immediate provision of adequate funding and commencement of work at the Asaba-Oko-Utchi-Aboh-Abalagada-Patani Coastal Road; immediate provision of electricity to all the communities in Ndokwa East.

“That the Federal Government direct oil and gas exploration companies in the LGA to relocate and maintain operational administrative offices in the area.

While demanding that the right of first refusal be given “to our qualified sons and daughters regarding employment positions in all the oil and gas companies operating in NELGA in the spirit of local content principle,” the statement insisted on the repair of “all roads used by oil and gas companies and their vehicles.”

Calling for the immediate dredging of the River Niger and adjourning rivers in Ndokwa East to curtail the recurrent flooding of the communities, they demanded for the installation of shoreline protection along the bank of the River Niger.

“We are calling for the immediate dredging of the River Niger, and adjourning Rivers in Ndokwa East, and installation of shoreline protection in all our communities on the bank of the River Niger to prevent the annual devastation from flooding of the river.”

According to the statement, “it is very unfortunate that the oil and gas companies have over the years refused to pay tenement rate to NELGA/host communities. We hereby demand the companies to make their payments up to date.”

The statement also requested that all the oil and gas companies provide evidence of MoU compliance for operating in NELGA.

They also called for the immediate completion of all abandoned NDDC projects and an end to the “practice of some people sitting in Abuja or Asaba to decide what is good for our communities or who will represent our interests, this approach must stop” among other demands.

They stressed that the people of the area can no longer sit and watch the lives of the people destroyed, as the injustice have pushed them to a point of resistance to protect their lives.