There was anxiety and worry in Edo State as 53 communities, from Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State acting on the platform of Concerned Edo Youths (CEY), blocked and barricaded the operational office of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, along Airport Road, Benin city, over alleged marginalization of host communities in contracts and projects execution in their localities.
The protesting communities who besieged the gate of the office as early as 7: am, were clad in red and were armed with placards of various inscriptions that read: “NPDC, enough is enough! PIB law must be adhered to strictly, NPDC, our protest is our right”
The protesters, to demonstrate their seriousness stormed the venue with a live cow which they slaughtered at the entrance gate, two big pots and two bags of rice which they cooked and shared among themselves while the protest lasted.
Speaking with journalists at the gate, Ovbokhan Igbinovia, one of the heads of the communities in Okhoromi Community said they were very happy that the company was sited at the community but it is quite unfortunate that the various host communities have not felt the impact of NPDC.
He said the communities have written several letters to the company but have not gotten any response from the oil company.
“We are 53 communities. The reason why we are here is because of NPDC. We are happy that a company like this is situated here in Iyekogba village but we are not also happy because we are not working there.
‘Our youths, our children are not being employed. Series of letters have been written to them ever since last year. They have not responded. So the youths and elders of the communities have deemed it fit to possess our rights with peaceful demonstration for them to recognize us that we are the indigenes of the community where they are residing presently.
“If you check across the roads, you will see that those roads have not been tarred, where this project is; if you check the schools, none of them is being renovated”, Ovbokhan said.
He listed their demands as thus:
“NPDC must empower and engage the youths of great Benin Kingdom, awarding the maintenance contract of NPDC Headquarters office, Benin to a company in Kaduna is fraudulent and a total disregard of our local content rights under the PIB law”.
He also said that their other demands are that the contract for maintenance of NPDC office cannot be given to a foreigner in Edo land asking, “how long will NPDC and government disregard the sensitivity of Edo youths?”
Another community leader, Sylvester Eweka said NPDC is taking the people of the state for a ride and that such can no longer be tolerated adding that the community people could approach the Oba who gave the company the land to revoke it because they are not benefiting from it.
“They know what they call the local contents. It is as if they are looking at the Binis as second class citizens which we are not.
“The only clearing of grass which should have been given to the host communities, was given to a company in Kaduna; it doesn’t speak well at all. We are asking the management to withdraw that contract immediately and give it back to the host communities.
He said the company has not reciprocated the kind gesture of the Oba of Benin.
“They said this land was given freely to the company by the Oba of Benin and do you know why he did that? So that his people can get jobs. We can go back to our father and said the land you gave out is not yielding any benefits to us and we want him to take it back from them”, he said.
Responding on behalf of the NPDC, Mr. Nowe Dumbra from the Community Relations Department, said the management will invite the communities as soon as possible to address their grievances.
Said he: “We came in this morning and we met this peaceful protesters already at the gate. At this instance, even if the top management is to come in, how would he has come in? It is not possible. However, I have reached out to my manager because truly, the protesters are community based and actually it should be handled by the Community Relations Department.
“And my manager, I have spoken with him and he has told me to appeal to them, get the list of their grievances, present it to the top management of NPDC and they will be invited for a meeting immediately with their leaders so that they can discuss”, he explained .
