Rivers communities to cripple oil production over pipeline surveillance contracts

Upland communities in Rivers State have picketed Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, TotalEnergies and other oil multinationals operating in the area over their non inclusion on the pipeline surveillance job.

Under the argies of Association of Niger Delta Upland Communities, the communities protested at Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, demanding that part of the pipeline surveillance contract be given to them.

The association claimed that over N19.2 billion that would have been paid to them for about eight months that the contract has lasted if part of job was given to them should immediately be released to the communities, adding that they have mandated General Amagbein to be in charge of all the contract negotiations.

The protesters, yesterday, who barricaded the access road leading to the oil facilities in the area, said they want to take part in securing the pipeline in their area, criticising the Federal Government for awarding the surveillance job to one man.

Secretary of the body, Wisdom Otei, said the people were not happy that they were not taking seriously in the pipeline surveillance job, adding that it was wrong for one man to be given the surveillance contract.

He said: “We are here for a peaceful protest and we want our mandate to be given to us. They should give us our right. Our mandate is being stolen by warlords. We want them to pay us the same money they have been paying for the contract, because we have been securing our area.

“How can you bring somebody from Ijaw land to secure a facility that is in our land? The Trans-Niger pipeline that supplies crude to Bonny terminal comes from here and we are neglected.”

However, the leader of the Niger Delta Upland Communities, Isa Obiri, said the community would not allow oil exploration to continue if they were not drafted to take part in the pipeline surveillance.