More Trouble Rocks Sterling Company As Other Host Communties Joins Protest
By Binebai Princewill
There seems to be more trouble as more host communities to Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) in Kou Kingdom, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have joined the protest in anger to shutdown the Company’s operational base at Agge area.
The protesters drawn from Azamabiri, Orobiri, Ogbeintu and Amazor communities in Kou Kingdom, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State had joined other aggrieved host communities in the area to continue the shutdown of the operational base of Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) at Agge.
Leaders who led Azamabiri, Orobiri, Ogbeintu and Amazor communities to continue the shutting down of the company’s operational base include Mr. Gospel Ebisine (Gmou Chairman), Mr. Andrew Mietuade (Gmou secretary) and Mr. Oliver Gbeyai.
The protest saw women, elders, youths and community leaders drawn from the said communities protesting at the facility in the early hours of yesterday which have occupied the facility till this moment, stressing that they will continue to shutdown the operation of Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) in the area until their demands are met.
The host communities are protesting among other things such as the immediate payment of outstanding 2018-2019 Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) funds, renewal of their Gmou, Local Content benefit to the host communities as well as other entitlements.
The host communities dropped the hint via a statement signed by Mr. Gospel Ebisine (Gmou Chairman), Mr. Andrew Mietuade (Gmou secretary) and Mr. Oliver Gbeyai on behalf of the said communities, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers today.
They continued that the protest will persist until their demands are met by the company, adding that enough is enough.
Meanwhile, a source had hinted The Liberator Newspapers that there are reports that the company is allegedly trying to intimidate protesters with military men to drive out the protesters in the coming days.
However, all efforts geared towards reaching out to the company in order to hear their own side of the story proves abortive.
