The Bayelsa State Government has urged communities in Biseni clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, to discontinue blockage of access roads to oil facilities as response to unmet demands from oil companies operating in the area.
Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, made the call at a meeting with the leadership of Biseni Kingdom, officials of Oando Plc and relevant top government functionaries in Government House, Yenagoa.
Dr Akpe, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, underscored the importance of using peaceful means of resolving conflicts, stressing that the act of staging frequent protests was inimical to the corporate image of the state.
He, therefore, advised the people of Biseni, to make a comprehensive documentation of all their grievances and demands, and submit same to appropriate government offices within a week for action.
The Deputy Governor equally directed the state Ministry of Mineral Resources to interface with Oando Plc and its host communities in Biseni, with a view to resolving the recumbent issues, including the construction of the dilapidated road linking the communities and some oil facilities owned and operated by the oil firm.
Dr Akpe, who expressed dissatisfaction with Oando’s handling of the issues, urged the oil company to cooperate with the Ministry of Mineral Resources, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to achieve amicable resolution of the conflict in no distant time.
His words: “As a government, we are not comfortable with such protests, because we believe there are better alternative ways to go about resolving issues. Road blocks will not solve any problem. They will rather cause more harm than good for you.
“Let’s not also burst pipelines because the oil that is spilled will destroy our farmlands, our rivers and fishes; it is we that will ultimately bear the economic, social and environmental cost. It doesn’t help us in any way.
“As paramount rulers, I want you people to deal with these issues. Government works in strata. So, report to the appropriate offices and action will be taken. Clearly, I can see that there is no proper organization and coordination on the side of the company concerning the issues.
“So between now and Friday next week, let there be a comprehensive compilation of everything that has to do with the Biseni matter and it should be submitted to my office for further engagement.
“Get yourselves well acquainted with what is right to do, get your facts and get to the Ministry of Mineral Resources and they will give us the feedback. But please don’t ever go to block any road again.”
In his contributions at the meeting, the Chairman of Yenagoa Local Government Council, Hon. Bulodisiye Ndiwari, said the grievances of the people were justified, which result from alleged failure on the part of the oil companies to implement mutual agreements with the communities.
Hon. Ndiwari described the roads being used by the oil companies to access their facilities in Biseni as death traps, which informed the decision of the people to block the roads in protest against Oando Plc, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company for the companies to reconstruct the deplorable roads.
Speaking on behalf of Oando Plc, the Lands Manager , Sir Okechukwu Onuemize, disclosed that the position of the company ab initio had remained that of rehabilitating the bad portions in the road and not a full reconstruction of the entire road as being canvassed by the communities.
On his part, the Acting Clan Head of Biseni, His Royal Highness Williams Wariebi threw his weight behind the position of the State Government and appealed to his people to desist from incessant blocking of the roads in the best interest of the Biseni clan and the entire state.
