Tension as stakeholders threaten shut down of oil facilities over Olu of Itsekiri Pipeline repair contract in Ijaw communities

By Monday Peters, Abuja

Prominent stakeholders have kicked against the award of pipeline repair contracts of Trans-Forcados pipeline awarded to Olu of Itsekiri over inciting his subjects to inject and restrict Tantita Security services Nigeria limited operations from Itsekiri communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The host community’s leaders of Trans-Forcados pipeline, however threatened to shut down oil facilities in the Forcados Terminal if the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Managing Director of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari failed to terminate the pipeline repair contracts awarded to Olu’s company, the PIPELINE INFRASTRUCTURE NIGERIA LIMITED.

The stakeholders accused the Itsekiri monarch of sponsoring protest against Tantita Security services surveillance operations in the Itsekiris kingdom, citing that they would not allow a man who had made himself an enemy to handle such a critical contract in their domain.

In a statement signed on behalf of the stakeholders by Engr. Anumu Believe, the chairman Sokebolou/Yokiri community, said awarding Trans-Forcados pipeline repair contract in Ijaw communities to Olu of Itsekiri was an aberration and is capable of fanning the ember of aggression.

He said, “As the chairman of Sokebolou /Yokiri federated communities, I speak on behalf of my people, we are not going to allow it owing to the land grabbing scheme of the Itsekiris.

“The Itsekiris of Ogidigben have long standing land disputes with my communities therefore as a people we will not allow the Olu at this time to carry out such a job in our territory. We will not give him access to our territory. This is a land grabbing ploy. We will not cede any portion of our land to his Ogidigben people. We will rather allow a company owned by a neutral person or people to do the work within our territory but not Olu of Itsekiri”, he noted.