By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

ABAVO community in Ika South Local Government of Delta State, has threatened to stop Pan Ocean Oil Corporation  from operating in the area, if it relocates its flow station from Obiayima- Abavo, where oil was discovered.

The traditional ruler of Abavo Kingdom, Obi Uche Irenuma II, weekend, led thousands of aggrieved youths of the town to Government House, Asaba, to protest the alleged plan to site the Pan Ocean Oil Corporation flow station in Owa-Alidinma community in Ika North-East Local Government Area, which has no oil, instead of Obiayima-Abavo.

The monarch and the youths appealed to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan; the state House of Assembly; security agencies and Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to call the oil company and a serving senator from the state, accused of influencing the planned relocation of the oil flow station, to order, to avoid full blown crisis.

The monarch, in a petition to Governor Uduaghan, said: “When Pan Ocean came into OPL 275 for the purpose of oil exploration, the first port of call was Abavo Kingdom. All documents made available to us then showed that the flow station for the oil block was  to be sited at Obiayima-Abavo. As a result, Pan Ocean was given free access to Obiayima community to drill for oil. Today, three viable oil wells had been drilled at Obiayima-Abavo.”