Anambra Community Residents Protest 10-years Oil Exploration Without Benefits

By Praise Chinecherem

People of Ogwu Ikpele in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have protested alleged oil exploration activities by Sterling Petroleum Energy Exploration Company (SPEECO) in their community without socio-economic benefits.

The community which chose 10th anniversary of the firm in the area to stage the protest, called on government over their plight, including lack of corporate social responsibility by the company and other basic amenities.

The protest which lasted for two days witnessed indigenes of the community, namely youths, women, children and the elderly with placards lamenting lack of tarred roads, hospitals, electricity, pipe borne water, among others.

The protesters accused the exploration company of subjecting them to agony, denial, rejection and degradation since its 10 years of existence in the area.

President General of the community, Mr Esumai Chukwudi said his people would no longer accept the activities of the firm.

According to him, day before the commencement of the protest, the community had, a day before the protest stopped all exploration activities, prompting the SPEECO’s leadership to approach them for a meeting.

He said: “The reason for the gathering and protest is to celebrate 10 years of rejection, humiliation and insult from SPEECO exploration company who have been mining oil in our land with nothing to show for it.

“No employment, no road, no water, no hospital, nothing that is coming from them and we have been begging them since they started operations.

“There is no metering that will ensure the quantity of oil being moved out of our land, which affects the PIA (Petroleum Industry Act).

“No single person from Anambra is employed. We have a consensus 60/40 agreement on employment for our youths, yet they renewed.

“We have about 12 wells in Umuokike, seven in Umuayas, seven in umumgbeleke, Umuogbulishi and Umuogbu. Yesterday we shut down all of them.

“That is why they came today for us to dialogue and we have told them our grievances, they said they are going to fix another meeting.”

Traditional Prime Minister of Ogwu Ikpele Kindgom, Chief Akaka Damian Anigboso, Odua Ukwu of Ogwu Ikpele lamented bitterly over the sufferings of his people.

He said: “Our oil is being explored and transferred to Niger Delta. This is 10 good years SPEECO have been operating in our land, all the agreement of understanding we signed with them non have been done or reached.

“They promised to give us scholarships from elementary, secondary, university, and up to Master’s Degree.

“No hospital, no pipe borne water, no electricity, we have made frantic efforts to Enugu government and Anambra Government but they has neglected us.”

Former member of House of Representatives from the area, Hon Chuchu Onyema said: “What the people are doing today is celebrating regret, degradation, and all kinds of bad attitudes coming from the company.

“We have tried to negotiate with them, but for some reasons best known to them, but this blockade today was for us to stop them from work and reach a round table talk for the final time.

“I believe in conflict resolution, not violence. There is social corporate responsibility. We are supposed to be receiving three per cent of what is metered, but nothing to show of it.

“The only street light you see in Ogwu Ikpele is the one I attracted when I was in the House. Other development projects are from the state government, yet we have an oil company mining our natural resources.”

When contacted, representative of the company declined to speak to journalists, saying the company’s public relations officer will officially address the media much later.