By Emma Arubi
WARRI—THE one-week blockade of Chevron Nigeria Limited operations at the Escravos tank farm, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has been blamed on the directive from a top manager of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Abuja.

Ugborodo Community Trust Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ayirimi Ema-mi, made the allegation, Monday, while briefing newsmen at Ode-Ugborodo.

He said: “Bigwigs at NNPC sit back in Abuja and issue delicate and devastating directives to oil majors that have the capacity of promoting violence and creating unnecessary tension in the Niger Delta region. They do not know the impact of their directives on the host communities.”

Ayirimi, who expressed dismay over the protest by the Ugborodo people, noted that government did not deemed it fit to discuss with the leadership of the people. He added that it was because Itsekiri people do not engage in pipeline vandalism, kidnapping, killings and other social vices that government failed to take their protest seriously.

He added that the protest was to draw the world’s attention to what government encourage and proudly promote.

Vanguard gathered that the Delta State Govern-ment has waded into the crisis and was in dialogue with the leaders of the protesters at Government House, Asaba.

There seems to be no agreement so far as the blockade against Chevrons’ operations at the tank farm enters its eighth day.

The community women are protesting against a directive, allegedly from NNPC to the management of Chevron, to renege on an  approved contract agreement with the community.