Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Eastern Zone are poised for a showdown over reports that the oil multinational firm has refused to publicly display the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the over five hundred million naira (N500m) BNAG Project at Oloma in Bonny kingdom.
This impeding logjam was disclosed to newsmen on the sidelines of an IYC Eastern Zone seminar in Port Harcourt by Warisenibo Prince MacPepple, Osimini I of Grand Bonny and Vice Chairman of IYC Elders’ Forum in the Eastern zone, lamenting the age-long regrettable conduct of SPDC in Rivers State.
According to Warisenibo MacPepple, the elders and youths of Oloma community, having been frustrated by the alleged conduct of SPDC officials and her-subcontractors, Abbey Court to the IYC and requested for urgent intervention, which is to block both the company and the subcontractor from mobilizing to site without meeting the demand and inquiries of the concerned stakeholders in Oloma community and its environs.
The youths-and elders of the community are also accusing the oil giant and the subcontractor of complicity and corrupt practices in how various skilled workers have-been employed and several vital contracts awarded.
Meanwhile, information has it that even the Bonny Kingdom Employment Bureau (EKEB) is unaware of the list of those shortlisted for employment at the project site.
When contacted Hon Sunju Blue-Jack, secretary of the Bureau, claimed ignorance of the employment activities at the site and advised the collaborators of SPDC and Abbey Court to put their employment activities on hold in order to prevent a likely breakdown of law and order in the kingdom.
Amidst all the misgivings and uncertainties surrounding the proper take off of the gigantic BNAG project, Warisenibo Prince MacPepple, himself a former chairman of IYC, Eastern Zone, has assured concerned youths, elders and entire Oloma community that IYC in the zone has the capacity to resist all forms of injustice that anyone might plan to inflict on the people in any part of the zone, which include: Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
He used the occasion to appeal to over 2000 members of the IYC at the seminar to continue to be lawful, but be on the alert just in case the need arises for the leadership of the organization to mobilize them for action.
Osimini briefed newsmen after the IYC Summit said that there is a high Level Cartel in Oloma Community that is conspiring with SPDC sub contractors to rub the community of her rights. Osimini who is fortunately one of the principal members and signatories as landlord of the said Bonny flow station said SPDC has always shot changed the community through this deadly cartel. He further claimed that as the secretary of the Family (Landlords to the Bonny Flow station) not even individual has SPDC Scholarship to the best of his knowledge. “We are not partakers in the SPDC activities in the Community as even the boat contract awarded him by Abbey court a sub contractor to SPDC has been taken away by these cartel for fact that he requested for proper accountability of the Oloma Community funds and destruction of Bonny Kingdom tradition and customs.
He alleged that on the 12 August, 2014, the Bonny Monarch and his council of chiefs ruled that the destroyed Oloma Owuogbo house should be rebuilt by Sir Amarighi T. Hart and Oloma Elders Council with a hefty fine that will be pronounced by the king later. And that he was also fined for taken a traditional matter to the police without the consent of the king.###
