THE Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison Officer to NNPCL and its JV Partners, Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, has condemned the destruction of the pipelines, belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL in Dibi-Olero-Abiteye Fields.
In his reaction to the destruction, Edema said, “The attack on Chevron pipeline Facilities, was alien to the ideology of the struggle of the Itsekiri Nation, to get a better deal for our people in terms of employment, infrastructure and welfare.”
Edema, who made the assertion, in a statement syndicated to newsmen said: “It has come to the knowledge of the Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison Officer to NNPCL and its JV Partners that there is palpable air of disenchantment with Chevron Nigeria Limited over issues of employment of people of the host communities, particularly in the three Warris of Warri South-West, Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas, -an advocacy, this office has actively been engaging with Chevron to accommodate Itsekiri people.”
He noted, “While His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, empathizes with Chevron over the recent attack on its pipelines in the Dibi-Olero-Abiteye trunk line and Flow Stations, it is important to use this opportunity to appeal to our youths to remain calm, as this office is actively engaging Chevron over unresolved unemployment issues.
“We understand that our youths are frustrated over the situation that portrays that Chevron is taking people from Host Communities for granted, but such frustration cannot be allowed to metamorphose into lawless behavior as attacking critical assets by any of our people”.
He restated the commitment of Itsekiri people to a safe and warm operational environment to Chevron and other IOCs in Itsekiri land, even as they trust that security agencies will leave no stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of the pipeline destruction.
Edema clarified that, the condemnable incident was not connected to the legal channels Iteskiti people have been exploring to address the lingering employment issues with Chevron.
“We shall continue to engage with Chevron to finding ways of absorbing qualified Itsekiri indigenes into the crude oil giant and other oil and gas companies operating in Warri Kingdom,” he added.
