Include us in your PIA arrangement, Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri tells Chevron

The Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri community has restated call for inclusion among the host swamp Itsekiri communities of Chevron Nigeria Limited Petroleum Industry Act host communities development arrangements in Olero and Saturn 1 Oil Fields.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the community’s chairman and secretary, Mr Bawo Benson Gere and Mr William Mutokuro Ugular respectively, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Warri, Delta State.

The letter was addressed to the chairman, the Olu of Warri Advisory Council on PIA and oil, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL).

The Itsekiri community denounced a publication on a national daily dated August 22, by one Amaokosuwei and others that Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri does not exist.

The statement recalled that the leadership of Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri community, which is located in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, had earlier written a letter to Chevron CNL for its immediate inclusion as host community in the PIA arrangements.

The community leaders said to their utmost surprise, no official response has come from Chevron, urging it to urgently do the needful to avert unrest.

“We don’t want to be pushed to the wall as we have repeated the saying. Enough is enough. Chevron Nigeria Limited will not get away with this, except we are included as host community among the Itsekiri communities playing host to Chevron in the above fields, hence the reminder.

“We also want to draw your attention to the publication featured in the Vanguard newspaper on Monday, August22 by the Amaokosuwei and others of Ogbudugbudu Ijaw community with their unfounded claims that there is no Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri community and that there is only one Ogbudugbudu community in Warri North Local Government Area.

“This claim is unfounded and should be disregarded. We have the present Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri community hitherto called Ogbudugbudu, off Olero creek in Jakpa District as contained in the Bendel State Legal Notice of 19, 1980 and as contained in the then Bendel State Gazette dated 2 April 21, 1980.

“While the Ogbudugbudu Ijaw community is far away from Olero Creek/Field and Saturn 1 Field respectively of Chevron operations, it is situated near Ofunama where Edo and Delta states share boundary.

“We do not share common boundary, neither are both communities in any way related.

“We are not the first set of towns/communities sharing common names; there are evidence everywhere of communities sharing common names in Delta, Edo, among other states.

“For instance, we have Jakpa in Benin River, while also in Effurun; there is Jakpa, Jakpa Elume, Jakpa Mereje and there is Udo in Edo State and also in Benin River, Olero Field to be precise, just name them.

“We don’t think the similarity in names should be a basis why some people should be making unfounded claims over an area.

“Moreso, we said in our first letter that issues about the ownership and control of Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri community first came up in 1962 which led to a legal battle decided in an Appeal Court in 1965 which put us among others of our Itsekiri brothers’ community in possession of the land till date.

“We don’t know where the Ogbudugbudu Ijaw community came up with their story.

“They should desist from such act henceforth and nobody should be found supporting or listening to them in an attempt to deprive us of our due benefit,” Ogbudugbudu Itsekiri community said.

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