Trouble Looms In Delta As Chevron, Gbaramatu Youths Bicker Over Oil Spill
The foremost Ijaw Youths Body IYC in the kingdom, has called on Chevron to without further delay, take full responsibility of the oil spill from its facilities that has allegedly rendered the waterways and lands of the affected communities polluted.
The IYC Gbaramatu Kingdom Structure made the call through its Chairman Comrade Peter Pudie, who is from the oil-rich Benikrukru Community who addressed newsmen in the early hours of Sunday 28th, March, 2021.
In his words: “After embarking on a personal tour round the various sites of the incident. I am here to inform the press that, the story of the said oil spill is indeed true. I personally visited the sites of the spill, in order to get a first hand information on the situation.”
Comrade Pudie hinted newsmen that, the level of damage done by the spill is so massive that the livelihood of the people of both the host communities and other surrounding communities has been entirely destroyed, leaving the people of the communities that are mainly fishermen and women with no other means of survival.
The IYC Chairman Comrade Peter in the course of the address, expressed his disappointment at Chevron Nigeria Limited which is the major international oil company operating in the Kingdom for allegedly denying and trying to shy away from the reality of the spill.
Comrade Pudie in his displeasure, advised CNL to without further delay, take full responsibility of the spill and set adequate modalities in order to curb the situation.
However, the Chairman Peter Pudie warned that, any further denial of the spill by Chevron, will not only intensify the tension in the atmosphere, but will as well be considered as a deliberate action by Chevron to destroy the only means of survival of the people of Gbaramatu, stressing that CNL will be met with stiff resistance.
“I Comrade Peter Pudie, the Chairman Ijaw Youth Council Gbaramatu Kingdom Structure, on behalf of the body, wish to use this medium to emphatically state that, the oil spill witnessed in Otunana flowstation in Kokodiagbene and Abiteye flowstation in Benikrukru Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom is indeed true.
“It is very sad that Chevron Nigeria Limited which runs a major oil operations in the Kingdom had to deny the occurrence of the spill, following the massive outcry from the affected communities. Denying that there is no oil spill emanating from any of its facilities in the Kingdom”.
“I want to state that the IYC Gbaramatu Kingdom Structure ably led by my humble self, took a deliberate tour round the exact sites of the spill as well as visiting every affected community in the Kingdom, in order to know the state of things for myself. It was sad discovering the level of spill, which has almost destroyed the entire waterways and landmass of each of the affected communities.
“I want to note that, this unfortunate oil spill has rendered the people of the host communities as well as other impacted communities with no hope or source of livelihood as their only means of survival has been destroyed, leaving them in the hands of hunger and starvation.
“It is on this note, we the IYC Gbaramatu Kingdom Structure, are calling on Chevron Nigeria Limited to henceforth, do away with its undue denials of the occurrence of the spill and take full responsibility of the situation, by proffering workable solutions to curb the damages caused by the spill by providing adequate compensations to every affected community in the Kingdom.
“We are charging the management of CNL to treat this call with all honesty as any attempt to ignore or disregard it will be met with stiff resistance from us”. Gbaramatu Kingdom IYC Warns.
