By Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omafuaire

WARRI—Indigenes of Orogun Oil and Gas Communities in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, shut  productions at Erhoike Flow Station, operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC.

The shutdown of the flow station due to a protest by the host communities, led to an estimated 44, 880 barrels per day crude oil production valued at over N1.8 billion per day in the international oil market shut in.
Mr. Morris Idiowa, leader of the Federated Communities, told Vanguard that over 2,000 women, youths and men from the 12 Orogun communities came out as early as 6a.m., moved into the Erhoike Flow Station and ensured  that all the workers were evicted and oil operations grounded before laying siege to the facility.

Defending their actions, Idiowa, said “For over 50 years, Shell Petroleum Development Company  has been marginalising host Orogun communities on this facility. When Shell divested to NPDC, the communities were not involved. They wrote letters calling for communities’ representation. The next minute we saw publications that Shell had divested to NPDC.

“Since then, none of the women, youths and men you see here have had a single management slot or unskilled worker engaged by NPDC and Shoreline, yet this Flow Station is tied to over 42 oil wells. In January, NPDC made a publication rating this Flow Station second highest producing in the whole of Delta Central under OML 30. Despite that, the communities are extremely poor.

“In the whole of Orogun, there is no health care facility. Our market is terrible. Women, youths, community leaders are extremely marginalised. We have said to Shoreline, NPDC, if they cannot meet our demands, they should leave our land. They must renew all rents and leases; give us a percentage of production. We are ready to defend our rights, and resources with the last drop of our blood till the issues are resolved.”

Mrs. Mary Obuko, Women Leader of the communities, said “When NPDC was taking over the mess SPDC left the community in 2013, they said they were aware of the issues and promised to remedy them. After six months, they came up with quick win projects. They made our people borrow money. They have not paid for the