Residents of the riverine Ugborodo community in Warri Southwest Council Area of Delta State have staged a protest against Chevron Nigeria Limited, accusing the oil company of neglect, marginalisation in employment, and failing to implement provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
For a second consecutive day, protesters occupied Chevron facilities, vowing not to leave until top management of the company and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) visited Ugborodo to witness their grievances firsthand. They also called on the Federal Government to intervene.
The demonstrators, largely comprising youths and elderly residents, carried placards with inscriptions including: “Ugborodo demands her 70% direct chevron slots,” “Chevron JV and EGTL belongs to Ugborodo community,” “Follow community local content law,” “Chevron EGTL PITSTOP please employ our indigenes,” “EGTL PITSTOP project must recognise Ugborodo as host,” and “Federal and State Govt come to our aid.”
Addressing journalists, the Chairman of Ugborodo Management Committee, Mr Emmanuel Onuwaje, said the community had suffered decades of neglect despite hosting Chevron’s operations.
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“We are not going anywhere to have a meeting with them, we will stay here till they come. We are appealing to the Federal Government to prevail in the issue,” he said.
Secretary-General of the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC), Raymond Pira, highlighted the widening poverty amid local oil wealth.
“In this (Chevron) yard, thousands are working, but there has been complete neglect of the Ugborodo community. No jobs, no contracts. They pay us less than those brought from outside; they call them Lekki workers. They bring people from outside in droves to work here, and we are not employed. Chevron has to employ us; we need a blue badge and direct employment.
“We are calling on the management of Chevron over the issue of the PIA to implement the Ikpere Host Community Development Trust.
“Chevron is contravening the Local Content Act, which provides some employment percentage for us. We are saying that until they attend to us, we are not going to leave here.”
The National President of Ugborodo Youths, Wilson Ejeh, and his vice, Victor Laju Udonju, echoed the same concerns, urging Chevron and relevant authorities to address the community’s demands.
