Bayelsa, Delta communities threaten to halt crude export

Bayelsa, Delta communities threaten to halt crude export 

The people of Agge and other neighbouring communities on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Ramos River and its estuaries in Bayelsa and Delta states have threatened to halt crude oil export from the area over devastation of crude oil spillages the facilities of a local oil firm in the area.

It was learnt that the aggrieved Ijaw people are unhappy at the slow pace of the company’s handling of the issue of compensation resulting from two incidents of crude oil spills from the facilities of Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company.

They threatened to shut down SEEPCO’s facility unless the compensation is properly and urgently handled by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the lead agency in crude oil spill matters.

The Chairman of Agge and its Federated Communities, Mr Stephen Fiyepade who led the community leaders and representative of the traditional council to NOSDRA’s Warri Zonal office on Monday, lamented that his people lost their sources of livelihood to the incidents.

He said, “It is regrettable that after damaging our fishing materials and sources of livelihood through consistent pollution and spills from SEEPCO operations, the company has refused to pay compensation to our people.”

Fiyepade called on NOSDRA to facilitate the payment of compensation so that people of Agge and its environs can recover from huge losses and get their lives back on track.

In his reaction, Chief David Omaghomi, the Government and Community Affairs Manager - Marine Operations for Sterling Oil blamed the delay on bureaucracy and urged NOSDRA to expedite the process.

He said, "We have further gone through the mandatory reporting, clean-up and remediation of the Impacted sites, provision of relief materials and free medical screening exercise stages under the guidance of all concerned government bodies.”

 “While (we) commend NOSDRA for their professional handling of the incidences, we urge the agency to expedite action for an early close-out of this matter. We likewise wish to appeal to the communities to exercise patience and allow due process to be followed, as NOSDRA remains the only arm of Government with the exclusive powers and jurisdiction to handle all oil spill related issues in Nigeria.

The Zonal Director of NOSDRA, Warri - Mr. Bunmi Akindele who presided over the meeting, also appealed to the people of Agge and their neighbouring communities to exercise patience, promising that the agency is seriously addressing the issue.

Interview: Paul Odili, Governor Uduaghan's aide, speaks on Delta Green Economy initiative

Why Delta State is blazing the  trail on Green Economy – Odili

Odili

What is the Green Economy initiative of the state about?

The point about sustainable development and climate change has been a major part of this administration’s agenda. When the governor talks about ‘Delta Beyond Oil’, there are a couple of critical pillars that support that initiative. Beyond just diversifying the economy of Delta State from reliance on crude oil as a major source of revenue, it was important that we also think in terms of sustainable development initiatives. It simply means the ability to consume resources in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner, such that we do not waste resources and it does not compromise the ability of the future generation to also have access to those resources.

The governor has being doing a lot. There are different ministries and MDAs that have been pursuing green initiatives – Ministry of Energy has done a lot of work in solar street lighting, Ministry of Environment has done a lot with waste recycling plants, Ministry of Transport is also doing quite a bit of it.

There have been pockets of these kinds of initiatives but it was important that it is consolidated further.  It has been an ongoing process and I need to also add that since 2009 when he (governor) began to speak out on climate change, he was the first governor to have spoken out very forcefully, calling the attention of the nation to the issue of climate change and our apparent indifference to it. He was also one of the governors that formed the R20 Region of Climate Action, which is an international NGO that is led by the former Governor of California (Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger). The governor is the Vice Chairman of Africa and Middle East of this body.

 We have had all kinds of different initiatives. We have had various reports and studies that have been done, for instance, the IEA report that looked at the Delta State Renewable Energy opportunities, a very interesting report and everybody acclaims it as a very solid work. We have had partnership with UNDP to produce the TACC Report – Territorial Approach to Climate Change. It is a vulnerable report that looks at the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable segments of the society. It also takes cross-sector approach to the effects of climate change and has issued the Integrated Territorial Climate Report (ITCP). We have also had a partnership with Phillips; they did an energy audit of some government facilities on and renewable energy and efficiency system in the state. Today, we have some ideas of the investment this require, the emission reduction and the payback if we adopt this measure. A couple of things have been going on just that it makes sense to now consolidate that and coordinate it. The only way to do that is to have a structure, which is why the governor decided that it is more effective if you have everything put together in a structured form such that even beyond him, if it is back by law, it can continue to have a lot of effect on the state.

Is there an enabling law right now for all these?

There is no enabling law right now, but what has happened is that the step the governor has taken is to initiate a process of consultation and brainstorming. We had a series of workshops that culminated in producing the Delta State Green Economy Policy document. This is a policy document that articulates the requirements of the state, the current position, what it needs to do, the strategies it needs to adopt and the structures it needs to drive forward the sustainability initiative of the government to be able to promote green development in the state. It is not just about green development; it is about also creating an economic structure that is sustainable. The way to do that is you have structure that is able to do a lot of research, attract investment, coordinate green economy policies and implement green economy projects and programmes in the state, working with existing ministries, which also in many respects have mandates that are related to green initiatives.

We know already that there is a lot of business models and technologies out there that is accessible and that is interested to partner with us. The point then becomes if you need to do all that, you have to have a formal structure and policy in place and it has to be backed by instrument of law. What the governor now did after the workshop in February, was to very quickly send it to the House (of Assembly). That bill is in the House and we are hoping that very soon it will be passed into law. When it is now backed by law you are now in a position to engage any stakeholder or business interest.

The GGEI  (Global Green Economy Index) assesses, not just on leadership and structure, but also on cleantech, what have you done in this regard?

We have commissioned a lot of studies to be done, we are expecting a technical mission in May to do waste characterisation study amongst other studies. For instance, it will look at the trend and scope of waste in Delta State and recommend a strategy for developing waste into economic resource. You know for  the average business interests involved in sustainable development as a business, they understand the value chain of waste and  as such they do not see waste as it is, they see waste as an economic resource. There are conversion technologies that can turn your wastes into commodities and becomes resources to other business interests that will convert it into a final product at a profit. From the front end, if you have the right technology, you can convert your waste and at the backend, it becomes an economic resource that somebody uses. The technical mission will work with our project team in the ministries. For water for instance, the issue is not just about water, but you will look at how do you access water in an efficient and sustainable manner. Those are the things that the study will cover.

Does the state have plan to explore cleaner alternative power source?

The IEA report on renewable  energy in the state identified three very promising energy sources - solar, wind and it looked at waste as also an energy source. Waste can be converted to energy use.  For now what we are looking at from the studies we conducted are solar PV, which will convert sun light to electricity; solar thermal, which is water heating and drrying for residential and commercial use. The point is ultimately, there is the need for renewable energy in order to be able to bridge the energy gap in the state, which is why it is very critical that we move in that direction, especially for off-grid and rural areas we could have off-grid energy solution whether it is wind or solar. The model that we will use may be in partnership or government will have to go into it solely as a social responsibility to support economic activities in those areas. These are things we would come to at some point and we are looking in that direction; we already have a report and we are taking it to the next level to do a detail analysis.

What are some of the provisions of the bill setting up this commission?

The law intends to set up the commission and the mandate is simple. It will initiate, coordinate and implement green economy policies and programmes in Delta State. It will collaborate with existing ministries and MDAs.

Deltans, like most Nigerians are sceptical about commissions, they see it as avenues to siphon public fund….

No, no, no. This is a very unique strcuture in that its mandate is to attract investments, initiate programmes and implement projects…

..It will also spend money

It will spend money but we have adopted a self-funding model, which is to say that government will fund the commission for 10 years and after that it will become self-funding. It will become a source of revenue for the state.

Will government fund it wholly during the 10-year gestation period?

No, we expect that it will be deescalating. In order words, by the 5^th year government will only fund half of the cost and as the years go towards 10^th year it will be self-funding. As the funding from government decreases, the agency is actually earning money to be able to offset some of its costs and operations. That is an indication that it is growing towards that self-funding target. We see tremendous promise and potential.

How does it benefit the state and ordinary Deltan?

It is very beneficial.  You see when we talk about Delta Beyond Oil, it simply aims to end overdependence on oil, diversify the economy, expand the industrial base of the state, create employment and reduce poverty. When you are going green, you are also promoting an economic development that recognises and reduces environment risk of development. Traditional ways of economic growth and development have always been done at the risk of environmental sustainability. This is saying it can be done taking into account the fragility of the environment. That is how this initiative compliments the overall objective of government.

The social component is it will empower the people; it will create employment and economic growth. It would also improve the public welfare. A fully embedded green economy is one that recognises the welfare and wellbeing of the people first. It does that across a whole range of sectors – agriculture, transportation, water, energy, public health. Ultimately, it is about the welfare and wellbeing of the people. In urban planning, if you are eco-friendly, you recognise that one of the major challenges of developing society is rapid urbanisation that leads to congestion and pollution. But if you are eco-friendly in your planning and practice, you factor in such that you prevent urbanisation that will pollute the environment and create public health issues for the people.

Why did the governor wait till the tail end of its administration before initiating this? Also, there are some activities of this government have been everything but eco-friendly…

That is not true.

Instead of investing huge sum of money on the IPP, you could have put it into wind or any of those clean and green sources

We are using gas, an energy source that is very eco-friendly. Gas has a very low emission so it is not correct. But the point is, we have not gone into full green economy, the process is on that is why you need to have some awareness and structure that will coordinate and guide policy making. But in the future, the standard would change whether in construction, production, consumption and whatever we do in the state some of these things would change. It would be much more environmental friendly. It will be much more efficient in terms of resource use and resource effects on the society. We are making the right steps. In a short while people would see the effect.

ADAPTED FROM THE NATION'S NIGER DELTA REPORT ON 25/04/14

N2.64tr Escravos Gas City project on course, says Gov Uduaghan

N2.64tr Gas City project on course, says Gov Uduaghan

 

 Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan on Wednesday assured that the N2.64tr ($16bn) Gas City Project in Escravos, Warri South West Local Government Area of the state is on course.

Governor Uduaghan, who gave the assurance when he led top functionaries of the state government and other stakeholders to the project site in Ogidigben (Ugborodo), allayed fears that the project would be relocated from the state.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan would soon visit the area to perform the official ground breaking ceremony.

Hear him: "The ground breaking will take place in the next few weeks. Mr. President will come here to do the ground breaking. I know it is going to be very soon. They will soon give us a date. We are quite ready. You can see that the site is ready for the ground breaking," he said.

Dr. Uduaghan said the project, which is being executed on the Public Private Partnership model is the first in the country, adding that it would host three major projects - a gas processing plant, a fertiliser plant and a petrochemical plant.

“There are other projects that will spring up thereafter. It is called a gas city because apart from those three projects there is going to be a big housing estate. There is going to be a deep sea port that NPA is going to construct."

"The gas processing plant will act as a feedstock to the petrochemical  and the fertiliser plant. The three projects will cost over $16 billion.

"It is a private public partnership between the Federal Government through the ministry of Petroleum Resources, working with private investors and off course the Delta State Government also being part of the project as the host state of the project."

The first part of the project, the governor added involved development of   infrastructure, "To develop the infrastructure you will first of all prepare the land. Preparation of the land means the bush clearing which has started, again there will be excavation and sand filling."

Dr. Uduaghan emphasised that the project when completed will turn Delta State into the industrial base of Nigeria, adding that it has multiplier economic benefits ranging from employment generation to providing gas for the nation's power plants, thereby improving power supply in the country.

He dismissed media reports insinuating a possible relocation of the project, stressing, "Let me assure everybody that this project is not leaving this site. It has come to stay. Mr. President will come and do the ground breaking and the other processes will continue."

Uduaghan informed that the intra-leadership tussle at Ugborodo, the host community, has been resolved and that he would soon inaugurate the committee that would liaise between the Federal Government and the community on the project.

Governor Uduaghan appealed to the host community to continue to maintain the peace in the area, noting, "My message always to the community is that what is coming here is unimaginable. What they are even fighting for is just like fighting for crumbs of a bigger pie that is coming. They should look more into the future. What is coming here once it succeeds generations unborn will benefit so much from it."

Mr. Tom Grousser, Project Director of Julius Berger, the contractor handling the project, had informed the governor that the company mobilised to site in January and has completed 60 per cent of bush clearing which will be completed in August.

In another development, Governor Uduaghan while on a site visit to the proposed Marine University, Okenrenkoko has expressed joy about the quality of work being done at an International Diving School, Kurutie.

Uduaghan, who was conducted round the project by Piniki Azaiye, told reporters that the Marine University proposed  would take off from the diving school.

Community protests non-inclusion in Chevron training prog

Community protests exclusion from Chevron training

From Shola O’Neil, Port Harcourt.

The people of Ugboegungun community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta have kicked against their exclusion from the Oil and Gas Vocational Training programme of Chevron Nigeria Limited.

Leaders of the community, in a protest letter addressed to Mr Deji Haastrup, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron, slammed the company’s attitude as “unacceptable and unethical.”

A copy of the letter signed by the John Ibokiti and Davies Omatsone, Chairman and Secretary respectively, lamented that the community, which is a host to the multibillion dollar Escravos Gas to Liquid plant of Chevron, was not deign a slot in the exercise.

“In the light of the above, we pray that you use your good office(s) to facilitate the seven (7) man list of our sons and daughters who are not only qualified but ready and able to be trained already sent to your Warri office for Oil and Gas/Vocational Training Programme six (VTP 6).

The aggrieved community leaders remarked that Chevron’s attitude could truncate the peace and good relationship it enjoys in the area.

They therefore appealed to the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron, Mr Deji Haastrup to wade and correct the perceived injustice.

“We hope you will correct this act of deprivation and omission of Ugboegungun Community indigenes on or before Thursday, 10th April, 2014 as the community is ready to employ all available means be it legal or otherwise to stop your operation, if this injustice is not corrected,” the cautioned.

Attempt to reach the CNL top shot during the weekend was abortive, but a source in the PGPA office told our reporter that the selection process was handled by the Itsekiri Regional Development Council, which interfaces with Chevron on behalf of Itsekiri host communities

KIDNAP: CLARK'S SON REGAINS FREEDOM

Ebikeme Clark, second son of Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark was released from kidnappers' den on Saturday night.

Sources close to the family told The Nation that he was abandoned in Ogriagbene, an Ijaw community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

From his freedom post Ebikeme was transported to Bomadi town, where he was received by family members and some Ijaw leaders.

The Spokesperson of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr Eric Omare confirmed the report in a telephone chat with our reporter on Sunday morning.

He said, "Yes, Ebikeme Clark has been released. I spoke with him and I can confirm that no ransom was paid to secure his freedom."

Ebikeme was snatched by gun - wielding youths in Kiagbodo, Burutu Local Government Area of the state on Thursday evening.

His abductors approached the family with a N60m ransom demand to release him.

The development prompted the IYC and former militant leaders in the area to launch manhunt for the kidnappers. 

However, the details of how the victim was still sketchy at the time of this report this morning.

NIGER DELTA AMNESTY TRAINEE DIES IN PANAMA, BODY RETURNS MINUS HEART, BRAIN

Amnesty trainee’s body returned to Nigeria without brain, heart

*FAMILY KICKS, CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

Cadet Ezebri in a happy mood

Nearly 10 months after the death of Deck Cadet Godwin Ezebri, an amnesty trainee, in Panama, South America, his remains are still lying at the morgue of the Military Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos.

The young, promising seafarer’s burial is delayed by the suspicion that he may have been murdered. There is also the delay in returning some of the vital organs removed from his body during an autopsy carried out in the South American country last year.

The young man, popularly called Akaba or Bribinya, was described as very bright and promising. He carried the hopes and aspirations of not only his family, but of his community and kinsmen as well as of his country.

The bubbly 27-year-old left Nigeria in 2011 to study at Gdynia Maritime University in Poland as part of the Federal Government’s amnesty programme. He was one of the first set of beneficiaries of the divisive programme.

Ezebri was aboard the maritime vessel MV Green Guatemala as part of his training in maritime technology when he died abruptly. Medical records obtained by our reporter indicated that he “slumped and died”, ostensibly from heart failure, on June 6 (or 7) 2013.

Party Time 

Some of his relatives, who spoke with Niger Delta Report shortly after his death, said they were not convinced by the story of his death, adding that they suspected foul play.

“We are curious because just hours before his death, as claimed by the crew, he had chatted with his brother on Facebook. He wanted his younger brother’s bank details so that he could send some money to Nigeria. Only for us to be told that he had died from heart attack. It is suspicious,” a family source told our reporter.

More intriguing for the grieving family was that the incident occurred when Godwin was the only Nigerian aboard the vessel. Two other Nigerian cadets who were also attached to MV Green Guatemala had left the boat just days earlier.

His remains were ferried back to Nigeria in July – barely a month later. They came without the heart, brain and other organs, much to the chagrin of his family members.

Attempts to repatriate the missing organs, it was gathered, have dragged on for several months. Expectedly, the delay led in gaining the parts and inability of the family to bury the young man led to tension between them and the agents to the shipper.

The accompanying autopsy and, later, a coroner’s report signed by Dr. Omar A. Zapata Coroner Coordinator of the Legal Medicine and Forensic Science Institute, Province of Colon, have failed to assuage the angst and suspicion of the Ezebris.ore worrying for the family and the amnesty office was conflicting report about the time of death and reports that Godwin had indicated his will to disembark at the nearest seaport.

The crew master of the vessel, Capt L. Sapelevics, in his report, said he said he wished to “sign off/disembark at the next port”.

What happened between the time he expressed that indication and his death are contentious, at least for the family.

He reported exclusively obtained by NDR stated: “Two hours before his death the master of the crew ordered a check of his blood pressure, pulse and temperature which were all normal.”

Two hours later, though, he “slumped and died”.

A family source told this reporter that as soon as the body arrived Lagos, agents working for Green Reefer, owners of the vessel, made an offer of “N500,000 financial assistance” to assist his family with his burial.

The family said they rejected the offer because they felt “there was more to the death than the company was revealing”.

The family’s protestation delayed his burial – first by days, then by several weeks and now by nearly a year.

The family, led by Pax Ezebri, demanded a fresh autopsy to ascertain the actual cause of death. He also protested perceived shoddy handling of the death of the promising 27-year-old by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta

The aggrieved family expressed their displeasure in a petition to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), over the matter. The petitioned raised posers about the conflicting time of death contained in the reports of Sapelevics and the coroner’s.

They also slammed the amnesty office, saying it never at any time officially informed them officially about the death of their brother but were “only requested by phone call to come to Lagos to receive the remains of their brother and the sum of N500,000.00 for burial assistance.”

NIMASA waded into the issue, leading to the performance of a fresh autopsy by a team of experts from a reputable hospital (names withheld) in Lagos.

“When they opened his skull, they found that his brain was removed and replaced with a towel, which we think was a ploy to fool us. His entire heart was also missing, while other organs were sliced and shredded,” a relative of the deceased told our reporter.

Series of meeting were held at NIMASA office in Lagos, where OSAPND, the vessel owners represented by a renowned legal firm, and Global Oil Service, which handled the placement of the deceased on the vessel.

At one of such meetings at NIMASA office on Burma Street, Apapa Lagos on Friday, November 8, all the parties attended the meeting with a team of medical experts.

Rather than make headway, it was reliably gathered that the meeting was rowdy and almost degenerated into a physical conflict between some of the parties.

A source at the meeting said one of the brothers, identified as Ebiakpo Ezebri, who is a former councillor in Burutu Local Government Area, wondered why the committee was still bothering about report of the autopsy when it was clear that his brother was killed.

Speaking further, Ebiakpo reportedly stated: “What happened was clearly a murder in Panama. What we want to know is why was our brother murdered?”

Our source, who attended the meeting, said the family, also demanded the return of all the missing body parts. “The lawyer told the chairman of the committee that other organs returned along with the body were slashed and cut to pieces.”

Also expressing displeasure with the situation, Pax Ezebri, the deceased’s older brother reportedly slammed the Amnesty Office for its initially handling of the messy situation, noting: “If we had taken the corpse and gone to bury as the Amnesty Office wanted, we wouldn’t have known about missing brain and other body parts.”

It was further learnt that the family warned that they have options on how to avenge the death, adding that they were only waiting and hoping the government got to the bottom of the matter.

“At the end of the stormy deliberation, it was resolved that other amnesty trainees aboard the vessels be brought to the next session slated for November 22, to tell the committee what really transpired,” our source stated.

However, four months after that meeting, Niger Delta Report authoritatively learnt that the missing parts have been neither returned nor any headway made in the investigation to unravel the incident that led to Ezebri’s death.

Our findings showed that the Green Reefer told the family that they could not secure agents or airlines willing to repatriate the organs to Nigeria.

In one of the communications between the company and NIMASA, the shippers said: “Regarding repatriation of the organs, most airlines simply refuse to carry same considering it as human waste, even though same would be sent dry packed which means they would be basically dehydrated.

“The travel agent is still working with courier companies however this is proving very difficult,” the email, which was obtained by our reporter, added.

Contacted, Pax Ezebri confirmed the development in a telephone interview with our reporter on Saturday morning but added that he had received assurances through an email from the legal representative of the shipping firm that the organs would reach Nigeria by Wednesday (two days ago).

“They sent me an email yesterday (last Friday) that they have secured an airline willing to bring the organs. So we are expecting them. Our doctors and the professors who will conduct the autopsy are prepared. We want to know what happened so that we can get it over with once and for all,” Pax Ezebri added.

CONFAB: IYC KICKS AGAINST EXCLUSION

PRESS STATEMENT

IYC REJECTS EXCLUSION OF ITS DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The Ijaw Youth Council (Worldwide) frowned and reject the non-inclusion of its delegate to the National Conference. The IYC views the exclusion as a deliberate attempt to deny Ijaw Youths and by extension Niger Delta Youths from presenting their aged long struggle for Resource Control and Self Determination at the National Conference. It is on record, that the IYC has been one of the most consistent advocates of a National Conference to discuss the future existence of Nigeria. Indeed, a National Conference is one of the foremost demands of the IYC as enshrined in the historic Kaiama Declaration. Therefore, for the IYC, the umbrella body of all Ijaw Youths, worldwide, the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria to be excluded from a list that has a total of twelve (12) nominees from Youth organizations is totally unacceptable.

The IYC agreed to participate in the National Conference because we believed that it offers us an opportunity to correct the age long marginalization of the oil rich Niger Delta region and to advance the cause for resource control and self-determination which the IYC has been advocating all these years. We therefore call on the relevant authorities to correct the exclusion of the IYC from participation in the National Conference without delay.

IYC TO HOLD ALL IJAW YOUTH CONFERENCE TO TAKE POSIITON ON NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The Ijaw Youth Council (Worldwide) would in the coming days hold an all Ijaw Youths Conference to take a common position to be presented at the National Conference which would kick off in the nation’s capital, Abuja from the 17th of March, 2014. The all Ijaw Youths Conference which would take place at Agudiama Ekpetiama in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State would have in attendance Ijaw Youths from home and abroad. The conference would be similar to the conference of Ijaw Youths which gave birth to the historic Kaiama Declaration. All Ijaw Youths from all the Clans of Ijaw Nation from Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria are expected to be in attendance.

Signed for Ijaw Youth Council (Worldwide):

Eric Omare,

(Spokesman).

Untold story of Ugborodo killing

Untold story of Ugborodo killing

*Victims were killed, disembowelled, thrown into the sea – Witness

Waiting for death

 Oil-rich Ode-Ugborodo community was the scene of intense bloodletting and gunfight last weekend. Although separated from the facility of a multinational oil company and a military base, the gunfight went on for several hours, during which several persons, 22 according to one source, were killed and property worth millions of naira destroy. SHOLA O’NEIL, x-rays the issue involved in the incident amidst questions over the professionalism of the Nigerian Navy and other military forces in the area.

Ugborodo Community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State had over the years become a major hub for oil and gas business, not only in the state, but in the Niger Delta region. Apart from hosting the massive Chevron Tank Farm and one of the largest gas projects in the world – the recently built Escravos Gas to Liquid - it has been chosen as site for the $16 billion Export Processing Zone in the area.

Afejuku

Yet, except for few personal properties, there is very little on ground to match the huge sums of money accruing to this oil-rich island in the past decades. Allegations of mind-boggling frauds are rife.

Nonetheless, it has been the leadership crisis rocking the oil-rich community and the controversy over New Ugborodo Town project that has put the Itsekiri community in the news in recent times. Two factions led by Hon David Tonwe and Chief Thomas Ereyitomi are currently embroiled in the battle for control of Ugborodo Community Trust, the paramount organ of the town.

The crisis assumed a new twist last weekend with the killing and maiming of several persons during a two-day bloody clash that started late on Saturday, December 4 and ran into the early hours of Monday. It was one incident in a long list of similar occurrences in Ugborodo.

A dark omen of the danger lurking in the oil-rich area first surfaced on Friday afternoon, when some leaders of the community raised the alarm over plan by some aggrieved persons to attack the community. They said the invaders planned to unleash mayhem while using the military as cover.

The statement titled ‘Planned Invasion of Ugborodo by Combine Military Squad’ said the “unholy plot has reached advanced stage with the Navy team from the NNS Delta team led by one lieutenant (names withheld) being briefed and primed for the operation (on Friday afternoon).

The Base Information Officer, NNS Delta, Lieutenant Ibrahim Yohanna, who was contacted by our reporter, debunked the statement, saying the operation its men were being briefed for was for the provision of security for a firm that was going there to execute a project.

Six gunboats left the NNS Delta Base for Ugborodo, late on Saturday morning. The squad went to the Forward Operation Base, which Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Ezete, was no stranger to the people or the Ugborodo crisis.

Ogbemi Frank Akpieyi, the community’s Public Relations Officer, told our reporter that leaders of Ode-Ugborodo were briefing the people about the plot to invade the town when the troops arrived.

 “When they came, it was as if they came to launch attack with about eight naval gunboats and speedboats. Everywhere was filled; all arms of the military were there, except the army.  They surrounded the community. As some of their boats were going, our people were following them on the seashore. When they got to the extreme (of the community) they came down.

“The Naval officer from Chevron had been coming so we knew him. He met the entire community at the public field. He said government held a peace meeting in Warri and they were in the town as part of the meeting. We said we were not aware and nobody from Ugborodo attended.

“We told him they could not be talking about peace without justice; when the mouthpiece of the community (Benson Dube, Olaja Orori (spiritual head) of Ugborodo), is languishing in prison.”

Our findings showed that relationship between the Ugborodo and the state government had deteriorated over the choice of nominees for the community’s committee to negotiate with the Federal Government on the $16bn project. The government’s choice of Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, one of the factional leaders, to chair it did not augur well with the community.

Prominent Itsekiri leaders, including Chief JOS Ayomike and the spiritual head of Ugborodo, Mr Benson Omadeli Dube among others reportedly opposed the government’s decision, hinging their resistance on the fact that “government cannot choose a committee to negotiate with government in a purely community affair”.

The governor, who also became enmeshed in the controversy, dismissed insinuations of a vested interest. He said, "I have no personal interest in this matter, all the factions are known and close to me and they have worked with me even before I became governor."

Our investigation revealed that prior to the military visit some members of the Ereyitomi-led faction were banned from Ode-Ugborodo over their perceived role in Dube’s  controversial arrest and detention.

On November 5, 2013, a sibling of influential businessman and chair of the Itsekiri Regional Development Council, Chief Ayiri Emami, was accused of shooting a young man to death. The victim, Sunny Temola, was said to be loyal to Tonwe faction and Emami is a staunch supporter and member of the Ereyitomi-led group,

Emami faulted allegation against his sibling, stating that it was targeted at him. He demanded evidence and the corpse of the ‘victim’. He told our reporter that the blood on the boat wehre Temola was shot was just “chicken blood” poured to fool the public and smear his name.

The day after the ‘killing’ Dube led people of the town to protest, which later led to the banishment of some notably members of the Ereyitomi faction. Those sanctioned were fingered for alleged mismanagement of the community’s fund and the jinxed N5.6bn Ugborodo New Town project funded by the state government and Chevron Nigeria Limited.

They said Chevron’s funding of $6m was deposited in private account where some persons were using it as collateral and reaping the interests. They also alleged that the government’s nearly N4bn disbursement for the project, which was for the construction of a new town, was mismanaged and there was nothing to justify it.

A few days after that protest, Emami accused Dube of unlawfully arresting and torturing two of his supporters. He told security agents and newsmen that droplets of burning wax were used to torture the victims.

Dube was arrested on the directive of the state government when he attended a peace meeting convened at the Governor’s Office, Warri Annexe to resolve the Ugborodo crisis. He was investigated for alleged illegal bunkering but was later released by the police.

But his ordeal was far from over.

On November 22, he was invited for questioning by Captain Ezete, who later arrested and detained him along with one Joseph Uwawa, Churchill Omadeli and Michael Lodge, the youth leader. They were whisked to Warri, allegedly on the order of the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Mohammed Garba.

There were reports that the police refused to accept the suspects from the navy because the Area Commander in charge of Warri Area refused to get embroiled in the controversy having earlier investigated and exonerated Dube for the alleged crime.  

The Ereyitomi faction, which is allegedly backed by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, was fingered for the arrest and accused of using its closeness to the government to torment their opponents in the community.

Also, shortly after the arrest, rumour began making the round in the Oil City and even military circle that some naval official were “bought” with huge sums of money to effect the quartet’s arrest.

A very high officer of the Nigerian Army (names withheld) confided in our reporter and his colleague who works for a TV station, that he was first approached and offered money to lead the arrest. He showed a text message revealing those who were paid and how much.

Faced with the dilemma of what to do with the suspects 48 hours after the arrest, the Navy took them to Asaba on Sunday, November 24, with the intention of arraigning them on Monday. Rather than charge them, the suspects were returned back to Warri navy base without any charge.

A renowned Delta human rights lawyer and National Coordinator, Forum Justice and Human Rights Defence, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, denounced the action of the Navy. He urged them to release Dube and others or arraign them in court.

The family went to a Delta State High Court to file a suit for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the victims. But on Tuesday, the police took over the matter and dramatically arraigned them for attempted murder, illegal bunkering and other crimes.

A statement was later credited to Emami in a national news daily, where he defended the arrest and listed some crimes which Dube and his cohorts allegedly committed.

While the fight to secure their bail was on, some of his opponents in the Ugborodo crisis reportedly vowed that Dube would not spend the yuletide season with his family. “They said they would teach him that they are in control of the state,” a source stated.

On December 23, the prediction came to pass when a Federal High Court in Warri denied application filed by Femi Falana (SAN) and consigned the ‘Ugborodo 4’ to Christmas and New Year in the Okere Prison.

SATURDAY FACE-OFF

It was against this background that Akpieyi and other Ugborodo leaders insisted that the Olaja Orori and others be released as a condition for peace to reign in Ugborodo.

The Navy top shot cranked up the tension when he reportedly told the villagers on Saturday that he was also in the town to negotiate the return of those banished. He was quoted as saying the exiled were awaiting the outcome of the meeting before treurning to the community on that fateful Saturday.

“That statement gave us the clearest indication that the operation was not what the state government said it was. They wanted to force their decision on the community again,” another source stated.

Confirming this, the youth leader said, “We told the Navy CO that (exiles return) is impossible. We told him that we would not allow that happen, even if that would take the lives of everybody in the community.”

Irked by the temerity, Akpieye said the ‘CO’ declared an immediate curfew on the waterways. “He ordered no boat should leave or enter Arunto until further notice - meaning until we bowed to his decree.”

Having made the declaration, the naval official and his team returned to their gunboats and took over the shores of the community and the creeks to enforce the ‘curfew’. Boats going to Warri and other upland places were prevented from leaving the island. Those coming to the town were denied access.

A source in the community said tempers rose to boiling point when they observed that boats going to 911 Resort (Ajudaibo) owned by Emami, were allowed unhindered use of the waterways.

There were also allegations that the military allowed unhindered movement of mercenaries, arms and ammunition even while the curfew was on that Saturday afternoon.

What led to the clash and reported three deaths was still unclear at the time of this report. But Mr. Femi Uwawa, who spoke in a telephone chat with our reporter from Ugborodo at about 7pm on that the fateful day, accused the navy of shooting indiscriminately at women and children.

He said three persons in a boat were shot by the military because they ignored the curfew. “They were shot by the navy, who are taking their corpses away right now.”

But Mr Isaac Botosan, the Vice Chairman of the Ereyitomi led faction, debunked Uwawa’s claim. Botosan, who is one of those declared persona non grata by the community, said the security agents were not even allowed to disembark from their boat. He blamed the stiff resistance on illegal bunkerers.

Botosan said, “The security agents arrived Ugborodo yesterday (Saturday). They have not been allowed to come down from their boats. They (illegal bunkerers) were able to stop the security men from coming into the community by mobilizing the old women and men in the community. They used them as human shield to prevent the security men from doing their jobs.”

As the face-off persisted, sleep eluded the community. The tension seeped into Warri and wherever Ugborodo indigenes lived. People whose relatives and loved ones were there kept in touch by telephone and prayed for peace all through the night.

But morning did not bring relief. The military continued the siege to the town from a distance and moved around midmorning.  As they did, their places were taken over by several speedboats ferrying youths and suspected thugs from Warri.

How Ugborodo was stormed, while the military was washing - Witness

Akpieyi, who witnessed and took photographs as it was ongoing told our reporter that he had videos and still photos showing the military and the armed gang who attacked the town planning the invasion minutes before it was launched.

“The entire community was on guard till Sunday; nobody could go to church. We all came together. We were there praising God. Before 11am we saw one of those involved in the crisis (names withheld) he was in his red boat and four other speedboats filled with boys.

“Immediately, we got a call from (one of the communities) that they are loading guns and ammunition. We called the Navy CO and I also called one SSS (official) and we told them what was happening. We told them ‘We are under attack, they are coming.

“They did not use (come through) CHEVRON side, because of the security cameras that sweep through the rivers. They went to where Chevron camera can’t see. When they got close to the seashore, they started opening fire

“At about 11 o’clock, right in the face of the navy, about 10 boats loaded with arms were shooting. “It was like a suicide mission. We had taken our stance and said even if means we all die, we won’t move. Some of our boys carried cutlasses and Ojigbe (a form of cutlass).

“First when they were shooting, nobody was running. But when people started falling that was when people started running. They came down. I was videoing other people were taking pictures.

“Those that they killed, they would take into boats and drive to the middle of the sea. It was like they were tearing their bellies and dumping them into the sea because that way the corpses would never resurface. They took over the community from 11am till 6pm. While these were going on navy gunboats were all here.

“They (invaders) went to Navy gunboats and they converse. They discussed after that the whole gunboats moved to one side. And they started coming,” Akpieyi added.

For over four hours, steady staccatos of gunfire rang through Ugborodo as armed youths overran the town, killed and maimed innocent citizens and plundered houses. Among those whose remains were found was Afejuku Oritseneye, whose disembowel remains were sneaked into Warri on the night of Sunday, January 5 at about 9pm.

His family members received his remains at the Pessu Waterside after it was sneaked through unconventional route to escape the military and his killers who were doing everything possible to obliterate traces of crime committed on that day. The remains was brought to the “A” Division Police Station that at 9:17pm before being taken to the morgue.

Dozens others who sustained gunshot wounds were treated at neighbouring communities. One of the victims, identified simply as Blacky said he was shot by his half brother, who was in another faction in the crisis. Blacky was among those treated at the Okerenkoko Cottage Hospital recently renovated and equipped by the Tompolo Foundation.

The houses of the Olaja Orori and other members of the community were destroyed. Household items, furniture and electronics were brought out and smashed.

Addressing newsmen on Thursday in Lagos, Dr Alex Ideh, a prominent Itsekiri leader and Mr Temisan Omatseye, former DG of NIMASA, said over 22 persons were killed in the attack. Ideh placed the valued of property destroyed at over N250m.

He said dozen others remained unaccounted, adding, “All these took place with one (naval) boat watching. The Ugborodo people were helpless. As we made calls, we could hear the shots at the background,” he added.

Meanwhile, our independent investigation revealed that the community youths who fled into the bush later regrouped and launched a quick counterattack to regain control and take out the wounded. The battle for control raged till late night when the invaders were forced to flee.

Navy not involved in the shootout, says FOC, CNC

Twenty-four hours after the carnage, the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Hassan Usman, addressed the press at the NNS Delta Naval Base. He said, “No naval gunboats were involved in any operation that led to shoot out or the alleged loss of lives as reported.”

He added that “it is important to state that the fracas was between Arotun and Madagho communities, which the task force remained neutral in the crisis.”

The FOC, who did not entertain questions from reporters, also did not volunteer answers on why the naval gunboat or the nearby FOB failed to respond to cries from help from the people of the community or even respond to sporadic shootings and deaths.

The top military brass left so many questions unanswered, not only for the newsmen at the news conference, but also for Nigerians in general and the people of Ode-Ugborodo, who lost loved ones on those bloody days.

Meanwhile, at the time of finishing this report on Saturday, Dube and the three others had made a triumphant return to the oil-rich land having been granted bail by a Delta State High Court.

They return to a community torn – physically and emotionally. Those who lost their loved ones are counting their losses and those who sustained injuries were being treated.

Unfortunately, the last Saturday’s killings were not the first and may not be the last as key players, who are individually richer than the oil-rich community jostle for its control, and extension, control of royalties accruing to it.

Uneasy calm now pervades the troubled community, nobody knows how long before the next round of gunfire rings out. But the beleaguered people and their neighbours are hoping that the government would muster the political will to end the crisis and bring perpetrators to book.

CULLED FROM THE NATION NEWSPAPER OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 12