Tina Amanda
Ogbele/Obumeze and Oshigboukor Communities in Ahoada East local government area of Rivers State have given the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources NDPR 30 days ultimatum to implement the state House Assembly directives or be prepared to vacate their land.
The aggrieved communities said NDPR has failed to operate by the international best practices and has also failed to sign a memorandum of understanding ever since the company began its operations in their Communities.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Chief Nathan Amuso, told journalists that two years ago, the Rivers State House of Assembly visited the communities for a fact-finding mission and directed NDPR to sign a memorandum of understanding with the host communities, stressing that till date NDPR has not carried out the mandate.
He further lamented that the company has failed to provide basic amenities for the three the Communities, such as pipe-borne water, light, road, health care facilities, amongst others.
“We, as peace-loving communities, have maintained the highest level of patience and understanding with the company despite NDPR’s constant disagreement with us. Our peaceful disposition towards them have not been reciprocated; they have failed in the following areas; failure to provide scholarship scheme to deserving students in our communities, failure to employ our people in its cadre, failure to enter acceptable MOU with our communities.”
“Based on this display of wickedness and negligence towards us as host communities, we demand that NDPR implement the state House of Assembly resolution within 30 days, failure to adhere to the above demand, we will carry out legal actions against the company and we will protest and demonstrate which may lead to the ultimate explosion of the company from our land”
