Bayelsa Community Shuts Down5 Oil Wells

On Sunday, August 3, 2014 angry
youths from 3 communities in Bayelsa
state forcefully stunted operations at 5
oil wells in the state.
Sighting neglect, the angry youths
closed down oil wells 3,6,8,11 and 12
which are run by the Nigerian Agip Oil
company.
The incident which occurred in Yenogoa
local government area of the state
affected the Idu oil wells which produces
about 15,000 barrels of oil per day and
is operated by the Nigerian Agip oil
company, a subsidiary of Italian multi
national company ENI SPA.
Thisday reports:
The protesting communities,
Egbabiri I and II and Akudonu,
carried out the action on Sunday,
August 3, 2014 following Agip's
alleged refusal to provide a power
generating set and other incentives
for them one year after it promised
to do so.
They were said to have erected
blockades on the roads leading to
the oil wells, chanting solidarity
songs.
According to the Secretary of
Egbebiri II community, Solomon
Ogiama, the company at a meeting
last April craved the understanding
of the communities to supply the
generator set in May but had failed
to do so.
He said Agip had not awarded
contract for the building of doctor
and nurses quarters in the area
which was part of a General
Memorandum of Understanding
(GMoU) the company signed with
the communities in 2001.
Ogiama stressed that the company
had frustrated every peaceful move
by the communities for the renewal
of the GMoU, adding that they are
tired of the antics of the company,
hence the youths resorted to the
action they took.
Beside, he disclosed that Agip had
not paid for several surveillance
contract jobs executed by
indigenous contractors in the area
for over nine months, adding that
efforts to get the company to settle
the debt had proved abortive.
"Why won't we be angry with
Agip? We don't have light. We
don't have water. There is no
borehole facility. We are not happy
with the way and manner Agip is
treating us," Ogiama said.
He warned that until they hold a
meeting with the general manager
in charge of the district and the
generator set provided, they would
not remove the blockades they had
mounted.
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