Indications emerged on Thursday that the Rivers State Government had waded into the face-off between the youths of Kula Kingdom and oil companies operating in the area.
The youths invaded three flow stations being operated by Shell and Chevron at Ekulema 1 and 2 and Belema all in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State in the early hours of Wednesday, alleging breach of the Memorandum of Understanding they signed with the communities.
They had vowed not to vacate the facilities until their demands were met.
However, competent sources confirmed to our correspondent that the state governor, Dr. Peter Odili, had already mandated the commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs to look into the matter with a view to resolving issues at stake and allow oil production to resume.
Although efforts to speak with the commissioner, Mr. Clapton Ogolo, on Thursday failed, it was learnt that he had already met with the aggrieved elders and youths of Kula and struck a deal with them.
It was learnt that the commissioner met for some hours with the parties on Wednesday and succeeded in persuading the aggrieve youths to lift their siege on the oil facilities, assuring that the implementation of the MoU would never suffer any setback.
The spokesman for the Kula people, Dan Opusinji, told our correspondent on Thursday that the state government had intervened in the matter and that they might shift grounds temporarily.
Opusinji stated that the community might allow one of the two oil firms to resume operation having shown some level of compliance with their demands but vowed that the other oil firm would not be allowed to resume until it met their demands.
He said, �In the light of the intervention of the state government in the matter and the response of Shell to our demand, we are ready to give them a chance to resume.