Obotobo 1 & 11 communities in Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu local government area of Delta State embarked on a protest in a bid to shutdown operations of the She’ll Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.
Cause of the protest is said to be an alleged lingering underdevelopment of the twin communities playing host to one of Nigeria’s international oil companies.
Angry protesters were seen blockading the SPDC premises as early as 6am on Friday morning, carrying placards with varying descriptions.
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Various community and youth leaders told Daily Report Nigeria, that issues of power supply and unavailability of portable water has been a lingering for years.
Mr Joseph Okou, who spoke with our correspondent, lamented the high level of negligence and maltreatment the communities have suffered in the hands of the SPDC over the years.
Mr Okou, who is the Assistant Secretary of Obotobo 1, explained that the SPDC has been running away from carrying out it’s Cooperate Social Responsibilities owed the communities.
“We have made several appeals for Shell to bring in more transformers to boost power supply in the communities, and also to provide portable water for indigenes.”
“It is obvious the SPDC is only concerned with the steady flow of the crude oil in our land, but do not care about our wellbeing, a situation we as a people will not accept henceforth,” Okou stated.
On his part, Comrade Isreal Owei, a youth leader stated that “SPDC is taking our simplicity for granted and we will tell them today and henceforth that we can no longer be slaves in our land.
“We are ready to occupy and lockdown all the entry points to the company yard until they respond to our demands. We bear the golden egg that feeds the nation and the SPDC doesn’t want us to be happy,”
he quizzed.
When contacted on phone, the youth President of Obotobo 11 Community, Comr. Christopher Abu also expressed displeasure over the marginalization of both communities by the SPDC.
“As the Youth president of Obotobo 11 Community, I demand that the SPDC should as a matter of urgency fix the light problem in our communities, repair the water lines from their stations to the communities.
“We are peace loving people. The company should not push us to the, walls because we have endured their nonchalant attitude enough,” Abu stated.
An indigen of Obotobo 1 Community Comr William Welemu Jnr also expressed grievance over the issue, saying;
“Obotobo communities deserve more than this ill treatment from SPDC as a very peaceful host communities. Irrespective of the failures of SPDC to employ sons and daughters of Obotobo communities and deliver laudable corporate social responsibility, the people have been so neglected.
We can not continue this parasitic relationship in the guise of being a peaceful host community.
“Enough is enough.No transformers, no work,” Welemu declared.
Our correspondent gathered that there has been attempts to calm the situation by the SPDC through an it’s Community Relations Officer, Mr Clever and a DSS operative (names withheld), but the communities have vowed to continue their protest peacefully till their demands are meant.
