Community gives Chevron 14-day ultimatum to provide electricity

chika ebuzor

February 2, 2017 7:22 AM

They also threatened to disrupt business activities of the company should it fail to meet the deadline.

The indigenes of Kokodiagbene community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta, have given Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) a 14-day ultimatum to provide them with electricity.

The community people marched to the Otunana flow station operated by Chevron on Wednesday, protesting what they termed ”insensitivity” of the oil giant to their plight.

They threatened to disrupt business activities of the company should it fail to meet the deadline.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such “14 days ultimatum to connect us with electricity as promised by CNL 19 years ago”.

“Pay our land royalty now Chevron”;“No light for Kokodiagbene, No oil for Chevron”; “Don’t intimidate us with security, all we want is electricity”, among others.

The protesters who comprised of youths, men and women, accused Chevron of reneging on the agreement they both reached 19 years ago to provide the community with electricity.

Mr Sheriff Milady, the Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community, who addressed Chevron staff and security men at the station in the presence of newsmen, said: “The oil company had agreed to supply electricity to the community about 19 years ago.

“No concrete efforts has been made by Chevron to ensure power in the community despite several reminders and protest letters to supply us electricity as part of its social responsibility.

“Chevron has been operating here. We even protected their facilities during the 2003 Niger Delta crisis.

“We are giving Chevron 14 days ultimatum to address the supply of electricity to Kokodiagbene, failure will attract the disruption of operations at the flow station,” he said.

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Responding, Mr Musa Akun, the Field Security Officer (FSO) of Chevron, Otunana flow station, thanked the protesters and promised to convey their demand to Chevron management.

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