Information reaching our news desk has revealed that the people of Ke community and their neighbours, Bille Kingdom both in the Degema Local Government may carry dangerous arms against each other following the forceful closure of Awoba II flow station.
The flow station was shut down by the youths of Bille community for an alleged failure of SPDC to involve the kingdom in the ongoing processes of selling the facility to new investors.
The Bille alleged that they have written to the management of Shell indicating their interest to bid alongside other investors, being the owners of the site where the oil field (Awoba 1) is located, but was flagrantly ignored by Shell.
Sources hinted this weekly that the oil field has been in dispute over several decades between Ke and Bille communities.
The two communities have been fighting over the ownership of the land where the disputed flow stations is situated.
Several years ago, the two communities clashed which claimed several lives and properties.
During the clash, the Billes were allegedly set fire on Ke community. This led the state government under the administrative leadership of Dr. Peter Odili to set up a judicial panel of inquiry headed by then retired Judge Iche Ndu. The white paper of that panel is yet to be released.
On Wednesday the people of Ke community raised an alarm through their counsel, Clement Wokoma Esq., the way and the manner in which the Billes are trying to interfere with the oil flow stations will cause crisis, since there is pending suit in the court.
In a petition entitled, “Re: Bille Community Shuts Down SPDC’s Facility. Despite From Acts Capable Of Causing Disaffection And Compromise Extra Judiciary Of The Subject Matter In Suit No. PHC/589/03 – Omoni Festus Eli vs SPDC (Nig.) Ltd & Others”, the Ke town sent to the Head of Public Affairs, SPDC (Nig.) Ltd, said that the ownership of the land where SPDC sited its facilities: Awoba Flow Station I and Awoba Flow Station II is subject of litigation before High Court 20, presided over by Hon. Justice Omeneji.
The Ke community pleaded with Shell that for the purposes of justice and fair play, it should allow the court to take a decision one way or the other before dealing with the facilities on the land “otherwise you will be transferring litigation to the new investors”.
The counsel to the Ke community advised Shell to desist from acts capable of causing disaffection and compromise of the subject matter extra-judiciary so as not to drag the sanctify of the judiciary to the mud.
