Date Published: 02/22/10

Oil Spill Rumble as NDPR invade Rumuekpe Community with Military and SSS

Port Harcourt -- Rumuekpe community in Emohua local government area of Rivers State for the umpteenth time has been plunged into renewed violence, the community has been invaded by military and men of the State Security Service (SSS) following an oil spill controversy pitching Niger Delta Petroleum Resources the only indigenous company among three others operating oil facilities in the community and members of the community affected by the spill who are demanding for compensation.

Trouble started when the Rivers state Ministry of Environment gave NDPR a deadline to mop up an oil spillage caused by their equipment failure, causing the destruction of aquatic life and farm lands in the community. In order to beat the deadline, NDPR decided to commence its cleanup effort without resolving with members of the host community affected by the spill. This consequently sparked off mass protest involving women, youths and other members of the community who stood their ground insisting that those affected by the spill must be compensated first before the clean up exercise.

The protest they say, was to compel the company to settle those affected before carrying out the clean up exercise, otherwise like they claim, the compensation  might not see the light of the day. They protesters who equally demanded that the mediation agreement reached between the company and the host community in the event of an oil spill be adhered to, maintain that nothing less will be accepted.

Though some NDPR officials who spoke under confidence say the community have been told to allow them to clean up in order to beat government deadline before the issue of compensation can be addressed, a suggestion rebuffed by the host community.

Torn between the government deadline and settlement for those affected by the spill in the community; NDPR now resorted to the use of force and illegal arrest to mop up the oil spill to avert government punishment hence, the forceful invasion by military.

Some community members who spoke disclosed that the company was able to achieve their aim with the help of one Mr. Isa Mohammed a contractor described as an outcast in the community and his cohorts, who are management officers of NDPR in, Alhaji Buba Umaru, the Community relations Consultant and Col. Orire Nikoro (Rtd), Security Consultant. Community members reveal that they carefully connived to perfect their plans and brought in the military men from Artillery battalion, Big Elele including members of the State Security Service to invade the community, arresting some persons in the process to intimidate the community.

Hear this “Mr. Isa Mohammed and his cohorts in NDPR, like the Community relations Consultant, Alhaji Buba Umaru and Col. Orire Nikoro (Rtd) are the major culprits in this crisis. Isa Mohammed perhaps after collecting peanuts from the company claimed he was mandated to represent the community and remediate on a long standing MOU that has existed between the community and NDPR in the event of an oil spill.

A secret meeting between Isa Mohammed and the two conniving NDPR officers were held and in the said meeting Isa Mohammed gave them the nod to go ahead with the cleaning up of the oil spill without compensating those affected, nor reaching a proper resolution with the community and they want us to remain fooled” Honest Uchenwo, Cidi Azubudu and Chichioka Eziokara affirmed.

“This is man’s inhumanity to man; how can NDPR arrest and intimidate members of their host community whom they have brought untold hardship to, denying the fishermen and farmers their source of livelihood through an oil spillage and instead of compensating them or at least assuring them on the way forward they invaded the place with military, intimidating and arresting people arbitrarily”, Emeka Eke and Honest Ochenwo members of the community lament.  

Similarly Gift Chim and Lucky Abel, maintained that NDPR’s act is a gross neglect and negation on the MOU reached between the community and the company. “We never mandated anyone to remediate on behalf of the community. It is a ploy to get us fighting again for peoples to say Rumuekpe Community is known for violence.”

Incensed members of the community especially, those affected by the spill disclosed that they have exhausted all avenues to make NDPR see reasons why they should be compensated to no avail.

Speaking bitterly about the development one Prince Augustine Chim, in company of Abdullahi Farenwo and London Ocho among others noted "these multinational oil companies should stop intimidating us otherwise this time around it's not going to be easy for them”.

“We are here to make peace between the community and NDPR” we have discovered the root of the problem which is masterminded by Mr. Isa Mohammed, and the two NDPR officers who thinks they can take the whole community for a ride, and the earlier the company call for a round table talk the better for all of us” some elders in the community were quoted as saying.

The Port Harcourt coordinator of National Anti Corruption Volunteer Corp, (NAVC), a subsidiary of ICPC, Mr. Livingstone Amadi has called for government sincere intervention, “you cannot give a company an ultimatum when you know they have much to settle with their host community. If the government wants to show concern it should be total. According to him, the Nigerian oil industry gave the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta some expectation of employment opportunities, social infrastructural facilities and improvement in living conditions. But in employment non-indigenes far exceeds those from the oil producing areas; the same applies to contractors. Social amenities leave much to be desired. Oil company workers living in host communities disregard the people's moral values and MOU reached between them, I cry for this country” he was quoted as saying.

In a communiqué signed by concerned youths of Rumuekpe community it resolved to follow the issue diplomatically and call on relevant authorities to intervene.The communiqué reads; thus; NDPR should stop forthwith the use of military to intimidate Rumuekpe community to truncate peace brought about by amnesty in the Niger Delta region.

 It also demanded that Col. Orire Nikoro, (Rtd) Security consultant (NDPR) be called to order immediately over his cruel activities while Alhaji Buba umaru, Community Relations consultant who they claim is been used by Mr. Isa Mohammed to perpetuate and ignite another round of crisis in Rumuekpe community be checked.

It will be recalled that Rumuekpe has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Only recently r residents of this small community in the oil-rich delta region fled after fighting over scant resources reduced their homes to rubble and turned their neighbors into foes.