C M Y K 20 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, , 2020 VOL. 1: NO. 253 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 ERRATIC POWER SUPPLY: Bayelsa communities tackle oil firm, defy soldiers •Lay siege to NAOC facilities, vow not to leave until they get electricity •Bayelsa govt intervenes, meets with oil firm, villagers By Samuel Oyadongha BISENI- TENSION heightened at the rustic riverside Biseni clan, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa, last week, when angry natives laid siege to the road linking crude oil facilities owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, protesting the company’s alleged refusal to provide steady electricity supply to their communities contrary to promises. <strong>No</strong>t even the arrival of armed soldiers could deter the aggrieved villagers of Biseni communities from abandoning their occupation of the road, where they tied fresh palm fronds round the barricades. They carried placards, some of which read, “NAOC: Biseni Clan is tired of your fake promises”, “<strong>No</strong> to this injustice, <strong>No</strong> 24 hours light, <strong>No</strong> Operation,” among others, saying they want the state and federal governments to compel the company to honour its promise of supplying their communities uninterrupted electricity supply from its gas turbine at Idu in neighbouring Rivers State. Though the state government had waded into the matter and met with representatives of the communities and officials of the company with a view to resolving the crisis, informed sources told NDV that the natives were not prepared to end the siege until their demand is met. <strong>No</strong> light, no operation — Zidigah, CDC chair A leader of the protesters, who is also the Community Development Committee, CDC, chairman, Tambiri I, Biseni clan, Talkwell Zidigah, said: “Since 2014 we have been struggling for this light, 24 hours power supply. A place with over 50 oil wells, yet we are suffering. Go to Ogbaland, you will see that day and night, they are enjoying light from the company’s gas turbine. “If they cannot give us 24 hours power supply, there will be no operation. Though we are presently relying on generator to power our community, the noise pollution has been a major challenge to us coupled with irregular supply of diesel.” Sometimes, we’re in darkness for 3 months – Chief Ndiware Also speaking, public relations officer, Biseni Council of Chiefs, Chief Clarkson Ndiware, said “Agip has continued to extract crude oil from our soil for over two decades, yet we are not fit to enjoy power from its gas turbine at Idu, BAYELSA… THE JERUSALEM OF IJAW NATION Biseni communities lay siege on the road leading to NAOC facilities. which is just across the river. Connecting Biseni clan to the company gas turbine will not only help boost economic activities here, but also give our people a sense of belonging.” “Sadly, here in Biseni clan, we sometimes stay <strong>without</strong> electricity supply for three months when other neighbouring communities in Ogbaland, across the Orashi in Rivers State, are enjoying uninterrupted power supply. If they could not give us light day and night, there will be no operation on our land,” he warned. Transformer lays idle for about 2 years – Mrs Odiowei, Andrew In her remarks, the clan’s women leader, Mrs Faith Odiowei, Bayelsa women protest oil communities’ neglect by NDDC By Emem Idio YENAGOA-HUNDREDS of women from oil producing communities in Bayelsa State have protested against the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, over the neglect of their communities by the Commission and destruction of their means of livelihood by multinational oil companies. The dissenting women stormed the state liaison office of the commission, located along ever busy Melford Okilo Road, brandishing placards with several inscriptions to ventilate their grievances and demands. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, “NDDC intervene to alleviate poverty, suffering from ecological disaster,” “NDDC come to our aid, our means of livelihood is destroyed,” “We are tired of the man-made poverty in our lands,” “NDDC release funds issued by FG for devastated oil communities,” “Toxic chemicals and dynamite are devastating our rivers and lands,” “NDDC come and empower our women,” among others. Spokesperson of the women, Mrs. Sophia Ogoun, from Ekeni community in Southern Ijaw local government area, said: “We are from the coastal communities from Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor, Nembe and Brass local government areas, we are here on a <strong>peace</strong>ful protest at the NDDC because of what we have been passing through. “The essence of this protest, recall that sometime early this year, there was chemical dump in the high sea that killed millions of fishes, and this has adversely affected our fishermen and women, periwinkle and other commodities “Coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are in dire need Gangsters scare A’Ibom residents AKWA IBOM … By Chioma Onuegbu THE LAND OF UYO—RESIDENTS of Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, are currently living in fear, following the resurgence of criminal activities, especially incessant night robberies and attacks by gangsters. NDV finding showed the hoodlums numbering between 15 lamented that even the transformer provided by the company since 2018 had been lying idle , adding that they were tired of writing letters to official quarters seeking intervention <strong>without</strong> response, hence their protest to draw attention to their plight. Another native, Okorie Andrew, stated: “We have made enormous sacrifice as an oil producing area with nothing to show for it. Who will believe we have over 50 oil wells here. Even the transformer that was supplied by the company has been laying waste since 2018. We will not lift this blockade until our demand is met,” he said. At the time of filing this report, they were still barricading the road. BAYELSA… THE JERUSALEM OF IJAW NATION of funds to kick start a new life, therefore, we are demanding N20billion as intervention funds from the NDDC from the coastal oil communities to help alleviate our plights,” she said. Addressing the protesting women, the Principal Manager, NDDC, Bayelsa Offfice, Mr. Diete Famonyo, who commended the women for their <strong>peace</strong>ful disposition and described their demands as legitimate, said as a liaison office, they would collate their demands and forward same to the Managing Director at the Commission headquarters. and 20 go from house to house and shops, ransacking and dispossessing their victims of money, GSM phones, laptops, car batteries among other valuables. The areas under constant attacks were Afaha Ube Itam, Udoudoma, Eneneh Afaha, Idoro Road, Atiku Abubakar, Ikpa Road, Asutan Street and Atan Offot, all in Uyo. Residents disclosed they observed that the activities of the criminals increased within the state capital since the curfew occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic was relaxed. Inhabitants of Asutan Street, close to Akwa Ibom Government House in Uyo, said they no longer sleep with both eyes closed, following incessant robbery attacks. It’s getting out of control – Inyang Mr. Inyang, who spoke to NDV, last Friday, lamented: “I became more afraid when I heard that robbers broke into a chemist store, Wednesday night, and cleared everything inside. And my surprise is that there is always heavy presence of vigilante group in the area during the night.” “Unfortunately, throughout the period that the 8.00 pm to 6.00 am curfew imposed by government was still in force, Uyo was enjoying relative <strong>peace</strong>. There were no complains of robbery attacks by residents. Government and security agencies should look into this problem, it is getting out of control,” he said. How they attacked my family and me — Businesswoman A businesswoman and one of the victims of robbery attacks at Okedo Estate, off Ikot Ekpene Road, disclosed that hoodlums broke into her house through the window after removing the window louvers. Her words: “I and my family was fast asleep when they broke into my house. The incident happened about 2.00 am. They stole my phone and as they were about to remove other valuables they sighted the night guards approaching and ran away. I do not know what would have happened to my children and me if the night guards had not come at that time.” Police came after apprehended suspect escaped —Dweller A public servant who simply identified himself as Mr. Bassey explained that when he woke up one morning, last two weeks, he discovered that the hoodlums may have entered the estate because they tried to force his car open, but did not succeed. He recalled that in 2017 and part of 2018 the criminal gangs used to enter the estate almost on weekly basis, removing car batteries, which had forced the residents to hire private security. “We decided to go for private security when we observed that police were insensitive to our situation. In fact, there was an instance when one of the suspected criminals terrorizing the area was apprehended by the residents and when a police officer within the Itam Division was contacted, they promised to come."
C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 21
- Page 1 and 2: 8 Buhari, Akufo-Addo meet in Aso Ro
- Page 3 and 4: C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBE
- Page 5 and 6: vanguardnews @vanguardnews Vanguard
- Page 7 and 8: C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBE
- Page 9 and 10: C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBE
- Page 11 and 12: Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 20
- Page 13 and 14: C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBE
- Page 15 and 16: C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBE
- Page 17 and 18: Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 20
- Page 19: Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 20
- Page 23 and 24: C M Y K Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBE
- Page 25 and 26: Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 20
- Page 27 and 28: Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 20
- Page 29 and 30: TRIBUTE SOT: A Worthy Matriarch at
- Page 31 and 32: Suarez terminates Barca contract