We’ve been in darkness, angry protesters,issues NPDC/NECONDE OML 42 JV three months ultimatum to provide electricity
Angry Protesters from Okerenkoko Community, Warri South-West Monday July 22, 2024 shutdown the flow-station in Jones Creek, an oil facility operated by the Management of NPDC/NECONDE OML 42 JV. They chased the workers out of the company’s site in anger, Areanewsng com, an Online Newspaper can report.
The Protesters who are from Egwa, Odidi, Bayan and Okerenkoko Communities said they’ve been in perpetual darkness for about three years.
They’re demanding that the oil firm must connect them to the gas turbine serving their yard for them to have light.
In a peaceful protest, the protesters issued a three months ultimatum to the company to provide them with electricity.
The protesters who are mainly women chanted solidarity songs as they danced into the premises of the company..
They beared placards with inscriptions such as,”NECONDE/NPDC No light, No Operation. Give us light”,” Okerenkoko Community is tired of darkness. Give us light. NECONDE/NPDC”,”Let there be light in Okerenkoko” and “Enough is enough of darkness.”
Action team leader of the Protest, Esther Ene in a chat with newsmen said they will remain at the flow-station until their calls are heeded to by the oil firm.
She stressed that the company has refused to provide them light but they(oil firm) enjoy to their detriment.
According to Ene,”It’s light issue that brought us here. As we are here,If darkness is sweet, they should shutdown the flow-station so that we will stay in darkness with them.”
While noting that the Community is the highest oil production in the Niger Delta, Ene said,”We are not supposed to be in darkness.”
“Anybody they will call from above, we are ready to stay with that person. If it’s Tinubu that comes here, we will stay with him here. They should find way. The highest we are giving them is ,three months we should have light day and night. They should fix the turbine for us so that we will have light.”
She said if the company fails to heed to their demand, they shutdown more of its flow-stations in the area.
Another of the protesters, Akpoaboere HelpMe who also spoke with newsmen corroborated the claims of the Action team leader saying,”We’re suffering. We don’t have drinking water. Only if rain falls before we can get water to drink.
“The situation has affected the Nigeria Maritime University,NMU. Students now go about in search of where to charge their mobile phones. Students can no longer study as many are leaving the town already. We are suffering again because there’s no network from telecommunication providers.
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NPDC/NECONDE OML 42 JV have refused to give us light. Please, give us light within the next three days or we shut you down completely.”
