Hundreds Of Ex-Militants Disrupt Heritage Energy Activities In Warri

Hundreds of ex-militants on Tuesday disrupted activities of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) in Warri, Delta state over alleged moves by the oil firm to engage ‘foreigners’ to take over interfacing for the host communities.

This is coming as a new dimension to the crisis rocking operators of the Nigeria’s largest Oil Mining License, OML 30 in Delta state.

BigPen Online recalls that two flowstations of the oil firm were occupied on Monday in Erhoike and Olomoro in a similar circumstances by angry community protesters.

The protesters who mobilised in their numbers to the company’s yard in Warri bore various placards with inscriptions, threatening to unleash mayhem if the company dares to bring in ‘foreigners’ to interface for the host communities.

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The host communities had alleged that the operators of the oil mining license, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), was in the process of replacing the OML 30 Community Development Board (CDB), with a non-governmental organization (NGO).

The claims have been generating tension within the host communities in the state.

The ex-militants told newsmen during the protest that the alleged attempt to bring in a third part into the relationship with the communities, if allowed, would derail the peace and smooth run of operations in OML 30, insisting that the communities were capable of managing a peaceful relationship with the oil company without the help of any outsider.

Chairman of the third phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for ex-militants, Kingsley Odiri Agas; and a youth leader of OML 30 communities, Comrade Lord Tennyson, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said both the youths and the ex-militants had resolved to resist what they described as an intrusion of the peace of their area.

“We the youths of OML 30, in collaboration with ex-militants phases 1 to 3, have gathered here to protest what we feel will cause trouble in our region here. We, have been enjoying relative peace in OML 30, the youths and the ex-militants have been able together to say there’s no need for us to have any problem in OML30; let production go up, lot government make more income so that they can come back will come back with development for our community and then we will then benefit as youths.

“This coexistence has been existing, for some time now we’ve not had any problem, there has been peace. If you look well you will see that there has not been any issue of vandalism, but recently there has been this uproar in OML 30 that there’s an NGO that came in that want to take over the leadership of security others from our people.

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“According to them they came to ask us to down our tools and work with them so that things will improve, but we said no, that we are already at peace among ourselves, we are satisfied with the peace we are having now. They have gone into my community, met with the ex-militants that are there and tried to incite them so that they will attack us.

“They told us of one Judith, a woman from the U.S and of Stephen and Stanley, who are from Rivers, that they came to our own land here to take our surveillance contract, from where the youths and the ex-militants are enjoying little from. The NGO man came, they are from Peaceworks, the two men are working with the American woman. This Peaceworks is an NGO which works with either government or oil companies.

“When I heard about it, I called a meeting of youth leaders of OML 30, we met with ex-militant leaders and we resolved that we will not allow them to set confusion in OML 30. We then decided to embark on this peaceful protest to Heritage that we don’t need these kind of people in our place. We are capable of protecting our assets that government has put in our area. We don’t want foreigners, we don’t want Peaceworks in OML 30”, the protesters said.

Security Manager of HEOSL, Dr Okey Okocha, who dispersed the protesters after addressing them, said their message would be convey to the company’s management.

Meanwhile, an official of Academic Associate Peaceworks (AAPW), a non-governmental organization (NGO), being engaged to interface for the host communities, Stephen Iyama, enumerated the achievements of his organisation’s achievement in peace building in the Niger Delta region.

“Peaceworks is a notable organization, they facilitated the peace process by establishing the Niger Delta Dialogue which played prominent role as interface between the Niger Delta Avengers  and the federal government. Judy, Stephen and Stanley are known for contributing peace in Niger Delta.

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“Judy facilitated the peace between IJaw and Itsekiri crisis.Okrika and Eleme crisis.  Asari and Ateke peace.  MEND and federal govt peace. Peaceworks is the home of peace.

“Last year we made peace between the different cult groups terrorizing Ughelli and its adjoining communities. The peace Ughelli community is enjoying today was facilitated by Peaceworks”, he said.