By Ndu Samuel

The people of Belief -Gbene community in Warri North Local government Area of Delta State has said that they have extended the ultimatum earlier issued to Oil Committee for 0ML40 by 3 additional working days effective from October 17.

The Chairman of Belief-Gbene Community Comrade Famous Belief Wonikiri-Ebi gave the hint through a press release he personally signed on behalf of the community, a copy of which was obtained by The Liberator Newspaper Wednesday.

Members of the community had on October 12 issued a 3 working day ultimatum which elapsed on Wednesday October 16 to the OML40 committees to either pay them all their entitlements or face any consequence resulting thereafter.

He said, the decision to extend the days of grace for the oil committees which they described as ” compensation /right hijackers” was reached after an exclusive meeting held on October 16 after considering pleas and inventions of some respected citizens and groups, particularly the Concerned Citizens of Egbema Kingdom (CCEK).

They said ” this temporary grace was giving; as a result of a timely intervention by renounced groups and peace advocates of Nigeria which was well deliberated on by the community before approval even as we received one of groups latter early this morning signed by the group president Mr Benjamin Ofiyai of Concerned Citizens Egbema Kingdom CCEK and others which was declined. ”

” It’s of the above acceptable reason that we concluded adding three working days as extensional grace to the oil committees of Opuama and Polobubo led by Chief Johnbull Adaun and Mr Boro Ologun respectively to tender the signed original documents of the dredging, drilling, pipeline installation and exploration job/process at NPDC/ELCREST OML40, pay us our compensation funds from the #248,000,000 /channel to us all necessities that are acrued to our community; impact assessment/local content and all necessary benefits from inception to date unreservedly. ”

The group added that they have set up two different committees for the purpose of the matter and warned that ” NPDC/ ELCREST should be also ready for a reflect reaction as double-dealers are warn not play with our collective interest and sensibility. ”

It would be recalled that Belief – Gbene have been at logger head with their mother communities of Opuama and Polobubo over alleged oppression and denial meted to them by Oil committee constituted by the two communities relating to OML40.

Belief- Gbene communities consequently had on 12 October 2019 called on oil committee in charge of OML40 to without delay, commence the payment of all compensational entitlements accrued to them as well as allow them access to job and other opportunities in the ongoing exploration works at OML40 within 3 working days or face reactionary consequences.

They alleged that Belief -Gbene community remains the biggest host community that has been unjustly denied all opportunity to benefit from multi national oil companies despite being part of communities hosting OML40 .

They also accused the oil communities of negotiating jobs for 62 acres of land at the rate of N4, 000,000 per acre on behalf of Belief Gbene community but lied that it was 52 acres at the rate of N2, 500,000

Recall also that recently, a right group, the Concerned Citizens for Egbema Kingdom (CCEK) waded into the rift with a view to finding a lasting solution to the impasse after a crucial meeting of its members in Warri.

They categorically told ”Opuama and Polobubo federated communities (elders, leaders and youths) for posterity purpose and also for a lasting peace, justice, equity and for a sense of belonging; to speedily attend to the plight of the Belief-Gbene community before it gets out of hand and other communities that have the direct impact of the above job operations.”

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