Youths from Okpokoroala in Uratta Autonomous Community, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia, on Monday protested what they termed “maltreatment” of their indigenes by the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC).
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okpokoroala is the host community of the Aba Depot of the NNPC.
The youths, who flocked the road leading to the depot, barricaded the entrances and exits into and out of the depot demanding change of attitude from the company.
The protest took a different dimension when the community’s Chief Priest accompanied by some youths brought out an effigy representing the community deity and placed it on the main entrance of the depot while daring anyone to cross it.
The protesters, who sang peacefully at the gates, had placards bearing inscriptions like: NNPC recognize your host community; NNPC since 1979 you’ve not offered us office pin as your host, is it fair?
Others were “Are we not your host community, why treat us as if we don’t exist? Enough of this 42 years of neglect and no more of such”.
Prince Young Ngwaziem, President of Uratta Autonomous Community speaking on behalf of the host community, said the agreement was that 60 per cent of support staff must come to the host community.
“The big people here fixed their relatives and brothers to fill job openings meant for the host community.
“We don’t have one person in support staff of which 60 per cent is supposed to be ours. The only person we had was removed.
“They must tell us when they will site a single project here because they have not laid a single block here since they came,” he insisted.
He said that since 1979 when the company took their lands without compensation, they have not even given the host community even the smallest health centre.
“Let them give our people their rights. They can’t even grade the roads leading to the depot. We don’t give them trouble, but they are treating this peaceful community as though we are fools,” he said.
The youth president of Okpokoroala, Mr Chukwuemeka Chidi said that the presence of the NNPC had brought them no blessings.
He said that the community had written them severally for assistance but nothing came out of it.
Chidi said that since 1979 that it was established, they have been employing people without considering the community and its graduates whom they did not find fit for jobs at the depot.
“We don’t want promises anymore. We can stay here for one month. How many times shall we write to them?
“People say dialogue is better and we’ve been doing that, but it baffles us that a company filled with learned people does not value dialogue.
“We have our brothers who are registered contractors, but whenever there are jobs to be done, they don’t call them.
“They rather call outsiders to do what our people can easily do and even better. We came here without even a single stick not to talk of cutlass.
“It’s a peaceful demonstration and we will remain peaceful until our cries are heard”, he said.
Chidi said in the last fire disaster that occurred on October 13, 2018, the community lost many of its sons because of the errors of the company.
He said that the committee NNPC sent from Abuja promised to do something for the community but regretted that since then they have all gone back to Abuja without fulfilling the promises.
The Depot Manager, Mr. Joseph Chukwudi, while addressing the protesters in the presence of heavily armed policemen, pleaded with the protesters to exercise patience.
He said he had forwarded all their complaints to NNPC headquarters in Abuja through its Port Harcourt office.
Chukwudi said he met the issue on ground but had not employed anybody there since he came except for two persons recently.
“What the panel from Abuja promised you will be fulfilled. They will study it and forward to Port Harcourt.
“This depot is not of two divisions; Pipelines and Product Management Company (PPMC) and Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC).
“The depot has been balkanized. The management of the depot is now two. There is a division now and it is not as easy as you think to handle,” he said.
He said NNPC had been segmented into two divisions to make management better adding that the NNPC management was on their matter.
