Mgbuosimini Community in Obio/Akpor Local Area of Rivers State has shut down the Port Harcourt office of Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC. Hundreds of men, women and youths of the community, who stormed the main gate of Agip as early as 6:00am, stopped workers from accessing their workplace. The residents came which placards reading, ‘Agip GMD Stop the Negligence of Mgbuosimini’, ‘Agip Employ Our Youths,’ ‘Mr Dennis Mazi, Mrs Rebecca Opubo Must Go,’ Agip Train Our Youths, We are Capable and We are Able.’
The protesters are alleging that they are being neglected by NAOC, demanding that they must be given their rightful place. The community is alleging that they are being neglected by the company that has operated in their community for years. The community also wants Agip to revoke a contract awarded to a set of people in their area, noting that the contract was causing killings in their community. However, some workers who did not want their name in print, regretted that they have been barred from accessing their offices. One of the stranded workers said: “I and other workers came here this morning to see the entrance gate blocked. “The community is protesting. We will wait to see if it could be resolved so we can now go into the company complex.” Meanwhile the Community, has demanded N100 billion compensation from Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, for operating in their area for 60years without due attention to the host community. Hundreds of men, women and youths of the community filed out with their drums, music, cooking utensils, goats and tubers of yam and drinks as early as 6:00am to block the access gate of Agip
The protesting residents came with placards reading, ‘Agip GMD Stop the Negligence of Mgbuosimini’, ‘Agip Employ Our Youths,’ ‘Mr Dennis Mazi, Mrs Rebecca Opubo Must Go,’ Agip Train Our Youths, We are Capable and We are Able.’ Weli Nyeche, the Acting Chairman of Mgbuoshimini Community Development Council, who spoke on behalf of the community, stated that the firm has stayed in their area for 60 years, but that the people have not benefitted anything. Nyeche alleged that the community is being neglected by NAOC, demanding that they must be given their rightful place. He said “That the Community hears that Agip Oil Company Ltd has been sold to OandO PLC without carrying the host Mgbuosimini Community along knowing that Agip does not have an absolute lease on our ancestral land among many other legal issues. This is unacceptable and we demand justice.
“That Agip should pay the sum of one hundred billion Naira to Mgbuosimini Community in compensation for over sixty years of neglect and several damages caused Mgbuosimini Community. That Agip should ensure to implement fully the items in our sixteen paragraph charter of Demands or the Community will sustain the peaceful protest until the Demands are met. Nyeche also called on Agip to revoke all contracts it awarded to one Daddy Chukwu, who is said to be on police wanted list for alleged killings in the area, adding that the contract to Chukwu and his men undermines security in the area, as well as the Nigeria’s national security. “That all Contracts awarded to the wanted killer group led by a wanted notorious killer Daddy Chukwu a.k.a OBONI who was declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force for the killing of more than forty persons in the Community including the gruesome killing of Chief Ndidi Livingstone the Community Development Council MCDC chairman in January 2024 should be terminated as the deceased chairman will be buried on Thursday June 13, 2024,” he added.
