July 17, (THEWILL) – There is rising tension in Koluama community in the Southern Ijaw local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following the closure of oil facilities operated by ConOil Producing Limited by angry youths over an alleged non-implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding with host communities.
THEWILL gathered that the breached oil facility known as Ango 2 field and operated by Conoil since 2013, has a crude oil production capacity of over 30,000 barrels per day.
The aggrieved residents of the community, including women, youths and elders, caught security personnel stationed at the facility unawares and invaded with placards bearing inscriptions, such as ‘No MoU, No Crude oil exploration,’ ‘ConOil pack and go, we are tired of suffering’ and ‘Koluama people are suffering.’
The people demanded the shutdown of operations at the facility, among others. Their demands were supported by members of the Koluama Oil and Gas Committee, who insisted that the oil multinational failed to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, which spelt out the social obligations of the oil firm to its host communities.
The Chairman of the Koluama Clan Oil and Gas Committee, Chief Jonathan Amabebe, who spoke with THEWILL from the breached oil facilities, said some of the community’s demands include a clean-up of the sites of oil spillage in the various communities and medical outreach to communities affected by oil spill.
According to Amabebe, others are the issuance of employment letter to one of the community’s qualified indigenes, who was successful in Conoil’s last employment exercise in 2015 and award of contract across the five host communities in Koluama Clan, namely, Tamazo, Koluama 1, Koluama 2, Olobia and Kalaweiama, as mentioned in the MoU.
Also speaking on the development, the Technical Assistant to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Oil and Gas, Prince Tare Ekubo, said that despite several warnings from the community, intervention by government, meetings and letters sent to Conoil, to ensure that the relationship between both parties did not degenerate into bad blood, the oil company refused to implement decisions reached, hence the action by the community.
He said the Bayelsa State Government would engage both parties toward finding a resolution to the crisis once and for all.
About the Author
