By Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Thousands of indigenes of Udu yesterday stormed Udu Local government
area headquarters, Ovwian Divisional Police station and Delta
Broadcasting Service (DBS) to protest their anger over the neglect of
the kingdom by NPDC, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC).
The people have also given a 14-days ultimatum to Nigerian Petroleum Development
Company (NPDC) to construct a flow station at Emadadja Ogbe Udu or
Ubogo or face shutdown of all oil wells in the area. Udu is one of the foremost oil and gas producing communities in the country.
President of Union of Udu Youth (Ighele Re’ Udu), Comrade Sunday Subi,
told the Vice Chairman of the local government that the protest was a
result of breach of agreement by NPDC with the community.
He said NPDC refused to construct a flow station despite two parcel of
land made available but preferred to drill the community oil and pipe
to neighbouring Utorogun community in another local government area.
“It is highly iniquitous when oil drilled in Udu are piped to Utorogun
and not counted as part of Udu quantum but rather counted for Ughelli
South, a neighboring local government area to Udu, unarguably, this is
great injustice and tantamount to robbing Peter to pay Paul”, he
lamented.
Comrade Subi explained that Udu, as peace loving people, had engaged
the management of NPDC and other relevant agencies, through dialogue
and correspondences, on construction of a flow station in the kingdom
but that the oil company reneged on agreements.
“It came to us as a rude shock after formal conclusion with the
management team of NPDC and two parcels of land earmarked to construct
a flow station at either Emadadja, Ogbe Udu or Ubogo to take care of
the OMLs in the kingdom when the oil from the recently drilled wells
of Abura field (OML 65) is now being piped to Utorogun flow station
against the collective will of and aspiration of Udu people.
“We the youths of this kingdom make bold to say that we will resist
this callous, insensitive and wicked act of NPDC to the letter, if
they breach a gentlemanly agreement reached with the kingdom”, he
said.
Comrade Subi warned that the peaceful disposition of the people fo the
kingdom should not be misconstrued to be act of cowardice and demanded
that all relevant agencies should act decisively and do the needful
withing 14 days or be forced to shut down all oil facilities in the
area.
He also complained about the inclusion of the kingdom in the newly
created police area command headquarters in Burutu which is about six
hours journey as against that of Ughelli or Warri which are 30 minutes
trip.
