Isioko Community Vows To Shut Down Oil And Gas Firms In The Area Over Marginalization By FG

The Isoko Nation has shown great displeasure over the marginalization of her sons and daughters in bidding for the 57 marginal oil fields in Delta State

The President-General, Isoko Development Union (IDU), Chief Iduh Amadhe, who decried the “gross marginalization” of his people, despite huge contribution to the national treasury, said the isioko people are either relegated or neglected totally.

“This is most disconcerting because we have many of our indigenes who have the expertise, experience and resources to play key roles in the oil industry. But for too long outsiders, who are not necessarily better qualified than them, are brought in to buy over our God-given oil assets to our own detriment. This time around, we are not going to allow it. Enough is enough of this injustice.

“We are therefore in total agreement with our brothers, the Ijaw, Itsekiris and Urhobo that those of us from oil-producing communities should be given ” RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL’ in the bidding process. We, therefore, call on Federal Government to discontinue any action to the contrary,” he said.

He went further to give federal government 14 days to consider their proposal or risk having all oil firms in the area shut down

“The Isoko people are giving the government two weeks ultimatum to make an unambiguous statement about our demand for fairness and justice, failing which, we will be constrained to shut down all oil and gas fields in Isoko land. We cannot continue to allow our people to wallow in poverty all because we are denied our birthright to benefit from our God-given goldmine.

“At this point, it is pertinent to remind the government that Isoko is the second place where crude oil was produced in commercial quantity in this country. That was at Uzere in 1958 soon after the first one at Oloibiri in Bayelsa State.

“Currently, Isoko Crude oil contributes 19 % to the total output of the production quota of Delta State. Isoko Ethnic Nation has eight Oil fields viz; Uzere East and West, Oroni, Ogini, Oleh/Olomoro, Owhe, Agip Field at Irri which extends to our Isoko community of Osekwenike in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa State.

“It is really painful that Isoko which has been producing oil for the past 62 years to oil the development of Nigeria has been totally denied the benefits of this natural resource which contributes over 90% of the country’s foreign earnings. The main reason is because we have always preferred to toe the part of peace instead violence. It is rather unfortunate that the government only compensate for violence and neglect peacemakers like us.

“It is in line with our civilised philosophy of always exploring the peace option that I, in my capacity as the President-General of Isoko Development Union, the umbrella body of all Isoko people, led a delegation of our leaders to President Muhammadu Buhari to articulate Isoko demands.

“We want to use this opportunity to once again express our appreciation to him for his warm reception and his Promise to give serious considerations to our 9-point demands.
“So far, only one of them has been fully implemented. That is the reactivation of the 15 oil wells in the Isoko section of OML 28 at Uzere which was locked up for several years. For this we are grateful to Mr. President.

“As for the abandoned Federal roads in Isoko land, the Federal Ministry of Works sent engineers to do the scoping. After that nothing else was done. We are therefore appealing to Mr. President to order those concerned back to site. If that is done, that will be the only Federal government presence in our fatherland.

“We are also appealing to Mr. President to fulfill his other promises to us, especially the ones that will lead to the creation of jobs for our teeming youths, many of whom are graduates.
“We are, therefore, reiterating our demand for the inclusion of our youths in the Amnesty programme, in which we were callously excluded, as well as the establishment of a modular refinery in Isoko land.

“In conclusion, I want to seriously appeal to Mr. President to give appointments to Isoko people. For inexplicable reasons, none of our highly qualified sons and daughters has been given any meaningful appointment by this government. This has complicated our unemployment situation because in today’s Nigeria you must know somebody who knows somebody before you can get job,” he stated.