Agbere Community Protests Over Refusal of NAOC to Give Surveillance Contract to Indigenous Company
Indigenes of Agbere community protests in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa state have come out in large numbers to carry out a peaceful protest over the blunt refusal of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to award the surveillance contract for the protection of their facilities to an indigenous company.
The protest which took place at the heart of the community was the high point of series of the peaceful demands by the people of the community to re-award the contract to Tee Tarakiri Nig. Limited, a company owned by an indigenous contractor.
Speaking to newsmen during the protest, one of the prominent chiefs in the community, Daniel Dickson who spoke on behalf of the king of the community noted that they have written to NAOC on several occasions on the need to re-award the contract to an indigenous company and all to no avail, adding that all their plea to NAOC fell on deaf ears as the contract was given to a company solely owned by a non indigene that does not have any link with the community.
Agbere Community Protests Over Refusal of NAOC to Give Surveillance Contract to Indigenous Company
According to him, the management of NAOC had refused to recognize and act on series of letters written to them to press home their demands, stressing that this is a deliberate oppression, marginalisation, negligence and deprivation of the legitimate right of the people of the community.
He also explained that the contract was awarded to Ability Integrated Services Nig. Limited in September 2021, a company owned by a non-indigene of the community, emphasizing that the king and other natives of the community have all exhausted thier patience which invariably informed the reason why they decided to carry out the protest.
Chief Daniel Dickson further pointed out that the surveillance contract issue had been shrouded in secrecy because there is no stipulated and agreed sum of money that has been given to the community by Abili Integrated services Limited, maintaining that the people are no longer comfortable with the way the management of NAOC has been handling the contract.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the Community Development Committee, Kalabari Eneyi noted that the basic purpose of the peaceful protest is to tell the management of NAOC in particular and the whole world in general that Agbere community has the legitimate right to be a direct beneficiary of the surveillance contract because the company is operating on thier land.
Kalabari Eneyi also reiterated that the amount of money the community has been getting from the non-indigenous contractor has been nothing to write home about, adding that several letters had been written to NAOC to correct the anomaly but all to no avail.
In his reaction on the protest ground, the Chairman of Agbere Host Community, Slaboh Tarila revealed that NAOC has been taking the non violent disposition of the people for granted for too long as far as issues surrounding the surveillance contract is concerned, insisting that they want an indigenous contractor to handle the contract because that is what is obtainable in other oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta area of the country.
He accused Ability Integrated Services Nig Limited of conniving with NAOC to defraud the community, disclosing that the time has come for the people of the community to take their destinies in their hands by staging the peaceful protest to press home their demands.
He also opined that they would continue with the protest if NAOC continues to turn deaf ears to their plea to meet the demands of the community.
Written By Jide Dominic, Yenagoa.
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Agbere Community Protests Over Refusal of NAOC to Give Surveillance Contract to Indigenous Company
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