Emma Amaize, Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omafuaire

WARRI—IT was a hot session, weekend, in Effurun, near Warri, Delta State, as the Member representing Burutu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives,  Julius Pondi, said oil companies operating in the Niger Delta favoured war to peace from the natives.

He spoke at a communication empowerment programme organized by the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, ACSPN.

Oil companies invited for the seminar boycotted the event, which further infuriated oil communities and other stakeholders.

Pondi cited an instance with Ogulagha, an Ijaw community in Warri South-West local government, where there had been no power failure in the last 20 years, saying the people only started enjoying electricity after a serious protest against an oil company in the area.

He disclosed that the agitation was bloody and claimed many lives.

The lawmaker said the submission by the guest lecturer and university don, Dr. Victor Ayedun, for effective communication strategies between oil communities and oil multinationals was a mere “Utopia, “ that had no place in the current relationship manual of the oil producing communities and oil multinationals.

According to him; “Whenever communities dialogue with the corporate organizations, they get little but when confrontational force is applied, they get more.”

He berated the oil companies for refusing to adopt the communication strategies needed for the peace and development of their host communities.

However, Pondi advised stakeholders and communities to keep hoping to see if the corporations operating within their domains would live up to their responsibilities, as espoused in the training programme.