Tension As Women Occupy Chevron’s Flow Facilities In Delta Over Prolonged Delay In Attending To Oil Spill

Women and youths drawn from over eleven communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, in their hundreds, on Friday, took over the Otunana and Abiteye flow station, facilities of the American oil giants, Chevron Nigeria Limited, over what they termed deliberate delay by the oil firm to attend to alleged oil spills by the oil company’s flow facility in the area.

BIGPENNGR understands the reported oil spill occurred over three weeks ago in the area and had spread to several communities in the Kingdom.

The development, local sources told BIGPENNGR had forced many to abandoned their homes while some are reportedly hospitalized after falling sick due to negligence by Chevron to attend to the spill issue.

Reacting to the protest, Chief Godspower Gbenekama (The Fiyewei of Gbaramatu Kingdom), said that the people of the area have been bearing the neglect and brunt of the oil spill by Chevron Nigeria Ltd facilities for weeks.

Chief Godspower Gbenekama

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He said that protesting women have vowed to keep occupying the facilities until their demand for remediation are met.

“The women have vowed to keep occupying both the Otunana and Abiteye flowstations until their demands are met. They will not be cowed or chased away without working solutions”, he said on Friday in a press statement released on behalf of the Gbaramatu Traditional Council. 

According to him, the Gbaramatu people are demanding for the immediate clean up exercise for the oil spillage  and remedial actions for the destruction of their source of livelihood.

He said that other demands of the protesters include, the physical presence of the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Ltd to address the protesters.

Gbenekama said that the demand that Chevron’s MD should be physically presence at the protest site, was stemmed from the need to ensure honesty and transparency in the discussions and to ensure that words will be followed by actions. 

They are also demanding for “provision of drug and food items for those who have fallen sick due to their negligence, and everybody who has been unable to pursue their economic activities because of the Oil spillage”.

He said that for three weeks now, no response, either from Chevron Nigeria Limited, Delta State, or the Federal Government of Nigeria have been made to the effected communities over the spillage.

The statement reads in parts; “We hereby use this medium to cry out to Government at all levels, as well as other well meaning individuals and organisations that they should prevail on Chevron Nigeria Ltd to do the right thing regarding these oil spills that have ground all economic activity in the Kingdom to a standstill for over three weeks.

“We have suffered the long term effects of the exploration of oil in our communities for decades but this is a brazen and unacceptable risk that nobody should have to deal with, but that as usual, we are left having to deal with.

“The women have waited this long because they have listened to the leaders of the Kingdom who have tried to plead for patience and restraint, hoping that Chevron will find and fix the issue of the spillage. That hope has been destroyed, as three weeks after, Chevron has only paid lip service to the idea of positive action.

Gbenekama said that the press release was necessary to avert break down of law and order in the area which he said is currently tensed following the failure of Chevron to address the demands of the people.

The protesters are drawn from Okerenkoko, Ikpokpo,Opuedebubor, Kenghangbene, Azama, Benikrukru, Kokodiagbene, Oporoza, Inikorogha, Kunukunuma, Pepeama as well as other communities mostly ravaged by the spillage and are being reportedly ill-treated by Chevron Nigeria Ltd.