Ndokwa Extraction Protests Against SEEPCO Negligence, Demands Justice
The people of Ndokwa/Ukwani extraction has staged a peaceful protest against Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) over its failure to stick to the directives of the Delta State Government to settle the lingering cases with the host communities amicably.
The warning protest which played out in the early hours of Saturday, December 17, 2022, was carried out by a group of women who blocked the company’s entrance, calling on SEEPCO to have regards for human life and clean up the environment messed up by the oil spill.
The women in their large numbers displayed play-cards with various inscriptions including “SEEPCO Clean Up Our Environments,” “Pipeline Leakage is Killing Us,” and “Our waters and lands are polluted.”
Others were, “Ndokwa nation says no to Oil Spill,” “fulfill your corporate social responsibilities”, “SEEPCO Give us our right,” “Our Eco-system has been destroyed by SEEPCO”, and so on.
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The company’s top officials who addressed the angered protesters pleaded with them to give the company a few times to resolve all pending issues, proclaiming that all cases will be addressed from January 15, 2023, when the company resumes operation.
Speaking shortly after the protest that lasted for several hours, the prospective chairman of Ndokwa Nation Host Communities, Engr. Grant Oji said the protest is against the negligence of SEEPCO and the ill-treatment melted on some of their members of staff, alleging that Sterling Global has not created enabling environment for the lingering matters to be resolved despite the advice of state the commissioner of oil and gas for them to settle out court.
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“I am here in Kwale today (Saturday) because this matter has been lingering for over one year. Sterling Global has not given a listening ear nor created an enabling environment for the matters to be settled amicably as the commissioner of oil and gas has directed.
“Chief G.E Ikwuobodo complied with the commissioner’s instruction to withdraw the matter from the court on the basis that the company to see to his needs as the honorable commissioner has said, but SEEPCO never did that for over one year.”
According to the Ndokwa nation host community prospective chairman, SEEPCO will officially convey a meeting after the festivity to pour oil on the troubled waters.
He urged Sterling Global to do the needful by fulfilling her corporate social responsibilities to foster the relationship between the company and the host communities.
On his part, Mr. Mba Okolo, a prospective member of host communities of Ndokwa nation said the protest was a result of years of negligence by the SEEPCO on the host community.
Okolo alleged that there was a lot of oil spillage in the Ndokwa East local government area of Delta State, adding that both the aqua-system and eco-system have been affected.
“Today (Saturday), we converged, mostly the women to protest against oil spillage that SEEPCO management and governments have refused to give attention to. The women blocked the entrance to the company for a few hours, demanding the right thing be done.”