Ijaw threatens to expose Chevron over imposition

By Emma ARUBI

WARRI – AS ELECTIONS into the Chevron created Egbema/Gbaramatu Community Development Council (EGCDC) draws near, stakeholders from both Warri North and Warri South-West council areas of Delta State have warned officials of the oil giant to steer clear and stop imposing candidates on them.

In a statement from stakeholders in the oil producing communities in Egbema and Gbaramatu communities, signed by Chief Ebi Warelade, they maintained that they want a transparent, free and fair election conducted to enable them elect their choice candidates for the various positions in the council, saying that they are serious about the election issues and are prepared to resist any imposition by officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited to serve their private interest.

But authorities of the EGCDC have through their Counsel, T.A.G. Ivory and Company have petitioned the Delta State Commissioner of Police in a letter dated 25 January, 2013 over the impending crisis that is most likely to lead to a breach of the peace in their mandate areas and sought for their urgent intervention to avert same.

The EGCDC was created by the oil major as a community development arm to actualize their infrastructural development programmes of their Ijaw oil producing host communities, utilizing local contractors to meet the communities’ developmental needs to create the right cordial and harmoniously conducive environment for the smooth and uninterrupted operations of the company in the Ijaw areas.