For over forty years, Chevron had been operating the Escravos terminal, shipping billions of dollars’ worth of crude oil to the United States; yet they are not prepared to develop the community whose Crude Oil wealth defines the mainstay of Nigerian economy.

From when Chevron started lifting crude oil from Ugborodo community till date, is a long period for positive developments to occur. Development is doubtlessly the antidote against the confrontational agitation anywhere in the Niger Delta. With development as the antidote to the resurgence of peaceful cum violent agitation anywhere in the Niger Delta, the current siege laid by irate elders, leaders, youths and women of host Ugborodo community on the Escravos Tank Farm operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL since Tuesday last week would have been totally put to an end in a second. Reports had it that the protesting villagers, who felt neglected and discriminated by the multinational oil conglomerate set bonfires and occupied the company’s premises, refusing all entreaties by security agencies to vacate the premises until the authorities addressed their demands.

The writer who incidentally is the Honorable Member representing Warri South-West Constituency (where Ugborodo community is part of), in the Delta State House of Assembly, shares the sentiments of these protesters, as the underdevelopment in the community in question is quiet conspicuous. One recall with nostalgia, how late Eric Igban, a onetime Ugborodo Community leader, together with the writer, eloquently provided very outstanding insights into the issues that led to the drafting of the jettison MoU that was hitherto signed in 2002 by CNL, Ugborodo community and the Delta State, which could have comprehensively changed the narrative of the community for good.

Ironically, the vibrations of enslavement daily occupy such a large space of the Ugborodo geography that the aborigines are invariably tempted to embrace the confrontational ideology in their range of agitations. At any rate, no coherent human being would fault this Marxist approach. Mere reflection on the investigative words of United Nations,        UN regurgitated in the situation of their in-depth and dispassionate analysis and assessment of Ugborodo community, nay the Niger Delta, which points to the development wickedness of Chevron, and its likes.

Ordinarily, Ugborodo, like every other Niger Delta communities should be a gigantic economic reservoir of national and international importance. Its rich endowment of oil and gas fit methodically into the international economic system. It’s evidence for massive revenue that carry the promise of a rapid socio-economic transformation within the Niger Delta itself.

In reality, Ugborodo community is suffering from administrative neglect, crumbling social infrastructures and services, high unemployment, social degradation, abject poverty, squalor and endemic conflict!

Characteristically, CNL is plagued by the virus of amnesia. The length of time must have swept the dispassionate evaluative words of the UN into oblivion. This then becomes a contextual justification for the enslavement of the people in the community.

If this contextual justification enjoys situational rationality and acceptability, the occupychevron protest is timely enough to reawaken CNL, its sister company and the Nigerian Federal Government to the development needs of the people of the region. The IOCs and the Nigeria Government are too intelligent to be awakened by the compelling rhythm of protest captured thus… ‘despite Ugborodo vast oil resources, the community remains poor, per capital income remains below the national average of 380 dollars, unemployment is rife in the area.

The Nigeria Local Content policy is not domesticated. The headquarters of Chevron urgently needs to be relocated from Lekki, Lagos State to Ugborodo community. CNL local staff training center must be sited in Ugborodo, as against Ogere in Ondo State. The divide and rule antic of CNL has engendered conflict and division in the community. Educational levels are below the national average and are particularly low for women, while 76 percent of Nigerian children attend Primary School, this level dropped to 40 percent in Niger Delta, Ugborodo not exempted’.

Against this backdrop, the recent revelation that the Delta State Government has formally invited CNL, security agents, as well as the aggrieved community to the negotiating table is quiet instructive. The report that the Ugborodo community leadership has shifted ground, thus signaling their readiness to partake in the resolution of the said dispute is heartwarming. On our part as the people’s representatives, we have firmly resolved that it will not be business as usual.

We are ready to work with all stakeholders to ensure that there is concise development in not just Ugborodo community but all the oil producing and transit communities in the Niger Delta. Chevron must turn a new leave in the way they handle developmental issues and show more positive inclination toward empowering the people, as well as developing the community.

The 21-items encapsulated in the 2002 MoU jointly signed by Chevron, Ugborodo community and the Delta State Government MUST be implemented with soldierly brevity. CNL must effectively operationalize the Nigeria Local Content Act, by outsourcing significant percentage of their projects to indigenous contractors.

The communities on their part must provide the enabling environment for business to thrive. They must begin to appreciate that they have a role to ensure that they do not encourage or protect nefarious individuals and criminals who seek to vandalize and sabotage oil installations for their selfish ends and resolve to work as partners in developing the area.
Barr. Mayuku, is a Member of the Delta State House of Assembly.

Daniel Mayuku