PROTEST: BLOCKAGE OF SHELL FACILITY ENTERS DAY-4

 
Port Harcourt- The protest by placard-carrying women and youths in Joinkrama 4 community, Ahoada West Local Government Area, Rivers State, over alleged insensitivity and disrespect to existing agreement by Shell Petroleum Development Company, entered its fourth day, Thursday.

Meanwhile, Shell spokesman, Mr. Precious Okolobo said: 'We have been working closely with the leadership of Joinkra-ma-4 community on the provision of amenities in the area. These include provision of electricity, scholarship awards and construction of access roads.'

'Shell is concluding repair of a faulty generator set that has been supp-lying electricity to the community. In the mean-time, Shell still issues diesel everyday for the community to run their generating set.

'Contract award is being firmed up for repair of Akinima-Adibawa Road pending total recon-struction. Shell will conti-nue to partner with the community on the imple-mentation of develop-ment projects in the area.'

Some of the placards read: No to polluted river, We want constant electri-city, 40 years of oil opera-tion, nothing to show, We want water, We want scholarship, among others.

One of the women leaders, Madam Aza Ezekiel, said: 'We had tried to meet with Shell several times on our plight, but the company had been dribbling us, hence the protest.

'We shall continue with the protest until Shell meets our demands. We are not going to allow them access to the bridge here to get to their facilities. If they want to fly with helicopter over the community to access the oil wells and flow station, well we have no control over that.

'We have over 40 functional oil wells in our land in addition to the Adibawa flow station. But you can't believe it that Shell has no regard for us as a community; from where they are taking so much every day.'