By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa—The leadership of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association, NATA, at  the Mechanic Village along Imiringi Road on the outskirts of Yenagoa, Bayalsa State,  has condemned what it described as the high handedness of  men of the Joint Task Force attached to the Saipem Oil Servicing Company, laying pipelines for oil major, Shell Petroleum Development Company Gas Gathering Plant.

The association recalled how the soldiers attached to the oil firm,  weekend, manhandled its members following a peaceful protest over the hardship they have been facing since the commencement of the pipeline laying operation for the gas project that cut across the Mechanic Village,  where they earn their living.

Lamenting the plight of its members, the state Chairman of NATA, Harry Igburigi, said they are not only exposed to health hazard due to the chemicals used in the course of laying and welding the pipes but that their secretariat complex was also at the risk of collapsing due to the strong vibration from the heavy duty earth moving equipment deployed to the area.

Flanked by Abadiofoni Bueseme and Ebimobowei Sikpi, Secretary and Public Relations Officer, respectively of NATA, the chairman explained that the activities of the oil servicing firm,  has caused cracks on the walls of the two office apartments and its perimeter fence, which has common boundary with the right of way of the project.

The union also lamented the destruction of the concrete access road to Mechanic Village now causing untold hardship to members and customers,  adding that most of their clients have stopped patronizing them a as a result of the heavy duty machineries and vehicles such as excavators, swamp_boozy and cranes operating in the area.

They noted that the project has constituted health and environmental hazards, including social imbalance to persons doing business in the environs.

“We avoided confrontations all these while and formally wrote letters to the companies and state authorities concerned but there was no response to our plight. Instead our members were beaten_up and customers’ cars smashed by armed soldiers attached to the firm,” the NATA leadership lamented.

The association,  pleaded with state government to intervene in the matter and prevent the situation from degenerating.