By Emma Amaize & Perez Brisibe

UGBORODO—THE people of oil-rich Ugborodo community, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, vowed not to lift the siege to the Escravos Tank Farm, belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited, until the company looks into their demands.

They, however, thanked the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for his mediation on Monday differing with National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, and four other Itsekiri groups, which rejected Okowa’s directive on Tuesday.

Also, another host community to Chevron, Benikrukru, Gbaramatu Kingdom, also in Warri South-West council, yesterday, gave the company a seven-day ultimatum to address the alleged marginalisation  of the community in the areas of contracts, employment and corporate social responsibility, CSR.

“In the light of the foregoing, Chevron and government are hereby given a seven-day ultimatum to address these grievances or Benikrukru community would have no other option than to shut down the operations of Chevron in Abiteye Field,” the chairman of the community, Mr. Victor Eseimieghan, said in a statement.

He added that “Chevron has been flagrantly violating the local content requirements in the area of contracts in its dealings with Benikrukru community over the years.”

Meanwhile, National Youth chairman of Ugborodo community,  Mr. Ofe Nene, in a letter thanking the governor for his intervention, said: “We have been at Chevron facility’s gate, both day and night since August 8, 2016, not because we enjoy the torrent and very dangerous sea breeze of the Atlantic Ocean, but because we need the above stated changes to be effected in our community.

“Except the issues are addressed, we shall not leave Chevron’s tank farm gate in Ugborodo. This is because we cannot continue with this pattern of Chevron always going to negotiation table with Ugborodo community to cover prominent and pressing issues with other ones, thereby attending to the colossal issues partially.”