Ijaw youths stop pipeline project for non-inclusion

By ADIBE EMENYONU, Benin City

Youths of Ijaw extractions in Edo State yesterday stopped work of the proposed trunk line between Gbetiokin field and Adagbarasa field, being undertaken by Elcrest over non-inclusion of their communities in the project.

Consequently, workers who were carrying out survey of the pipeline route were chased away by youths of the communities.

A representative of the youths, Mr. Andrew Adowei, described the action of the oil company as an affront on the people of the communities.

He said aside the need to inform the people of the proposed survey, none of those carrying out the survey are from the communities the pipeline will passed through.

He said: “We, youths of Ijaw communities within OML 40 have stopped a survey work for the preparation of a pipeline (trunk line) that will link the the Gbetiokin oil field to Adagbarasa manifold.

“Our anger stem from the fact that we see the action of Elcrest as gross disrespect for these communities. Nobody has come to abreast us about the ongoing survey within our own territory.

“This is an unusual practice by oil companies to just come into host communities without prior information of the scope of work or what they are about doing.”

Adowei, however, stated that some months back, the company had intimated the communities of their plan and even engaged a youth from one of the community as Ijaw coordinator of the project.

“Prince Igbiriki Barakemiye who is the Ijaw coordinator of this project came down to the community to hint us about the scope of the job and even engaged some of our youths.

“But right now, it is just a different scenario we are seeing. They have dropped all the proposed plans they had unfolded to us months back.

“The trunk line project is being diverted from the initial arrangement and many Ijaw communities that were first captured in the project in the first phase have been removed.

“As we speak, nobody has come to tell us the true state of things and why youths from Ijaw communities were extricated from the pipeline project.

“We only woke up to see workers in our communities without any information or notice.

“What Elcrest is doing is a recipe for ethnic crisis because they seemed to be working with a particular tribe by removing the Ijaw communities from the project.

“We want the state and federal governments to call the management of Elcrest to order before things starts to degenerate within the Benin River,” he appealed.

Meanwhile, a Representative of the Elcreat, Mr. Benson Masade, declined to speak on the matter when his views were sought on why his firm took such decision without the affected communities as alleged. (Adopted from THISDAY)