The Bayelsa State office of oil giant, Chevron, along Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, was shut Wednesday by irate youths protesting the alleged signing of a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Port Harcourt instead of Yenagoa. They also threatened to shut Chevron flow stations in Brass and Southern Ijaw local government areas over what they described as imposition of the GMoU on the people.
The youths numbering over 100 from the KEFFES communities of Southern Ijaw and Brass local government areas sealed the gate as early as 8.30a.m and prevented staff from reporting for duty.
The host communities go by the acronym ‘KEFFES’, which stands for Koluama I, Koluama II, Ekeni, Foropa, Fishtown, Ezetu I, Ezetu II and Sangana, all in the Southern-Ijaw and Brass local government areas of Bayelsa.
The KEFFES stated in a letter dated December 23, 2009, and made available to newsmen that the GMoU was signed between the communities and Chevron after it took over from Texaco.
The letter, addressed to the commander of the Joint Task Force in Yenagoa, was entitled, “Re: A resolve by KEFFES Community Rights Organisation to stop Chevron Nigeria Limited from operating within their territories if such conditions are not met”.
The eight communities expressed regret that they were duly recognised before the takeover, but said the GMoU did not reflect the “usual duties” assigned to them.
According to the public relations officer of the KEFFES Community Rights Organisation, Julius Talor, since taking over from Texaco, Chevron had been insensitive to their plight in the provision of social infrastructure and jobs. The protesters described as unacceptable a situation where some indigenes employed by the company had remained as casual workers for almost 10 years.
Some of the placards posted on the gate of the company’s liaison office read: “Chevron hates Bayelsa State”, “We don’t want post-amnesty crisis in KEFFES region”, “Chevron GMoU signed in Port Harcourt not acceptable”, and “Chevron must leave our communities’’.
A detachment of mobile policemen led by Reuben Kemah, a DSP, was seen in front of the Chevron office gate trying to persuade the protesters.
Kemah appealed to them to always seek constitutional means in resolving conflicts instead of resorting to violence. Speaking to newsmen on the protest, the president of KEFFES Community Rights Organisation, Braemi Elisha, said the latest GMoU was signed without a review of the former document that elapsed last October.
Elisha stated that their surprise was that those who purportedly signed the GMoU on behalf of the KEFFES communities were not the true representatives of the people.
He accused Chevron of using divide and rule tactics in their dealings with his people, explaining that the community leadership and the state government who ought to be parties to the review of the document were not consulted. Elisha said that unless the company addresses the issue, they would close its platforms in North-Apoil, Funiwa, Peninton and Agbami which are about 70 nautical miles off the Bayelsa coast.