Ugborodo Women Protest Non-payment of Over N25m Debt, Secret M.o.U, Barricades Chevron Tank Farm for Alleged Neglect

Again hundreds of visibly angry and battle-ready women from the oil-rich Ugborodo Community in Warri South West Local Government Council Area of Delta State, Tuesday, laid siege on Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) Escravos Tank Farm protesting allege non-payment of over N25m food supply debt, breach of memorandum of understanding (MOU) and non-employment of their sons and daughters among others.

The women took over the premises of Chevron plant premises as early as 8 am and mounted canopies vowing not to vacate the area until their grievances were addressed by the management of the oil firm even as the protest enters the second day yesterday, as operatives of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operations Base (FOB) stationed at the plant where on standby to ensure safety for both the women, Chevrons’ staff and properties.

The protesters led by Chief (Mrs) Mercy Olowu reveal that they are demanding for payment of services rendered to the Chevron through JAD Catering Services as directed since February this year amounting to about N25 million, just as they are further demanding for a review of the prices of commodities in line with current market realities.

According to Chief (Mrs) Mercy Olowu, Chevron management refused payment to JAD Catering Services who in turn supposed to clear their outstanding debt to them as contractors that supplied foods and beverages to the catering company explaining that they were organized by Chevron Nigeria Limited and placed as supply contractors to the catering company in line with a memorandum of understanding signed with the oil company in 2002.

"We signed a MoU with Chevron Nigeria Limited in 2002. Under the MoU, we were organised and placed under JAD Catering Services, the major contractor to Chevron. We are supplying food stuffs and others to JAD Catering Services but the company stopped paying for what we have supplied since January 2020 under the guise that Chevron has refused to pay them.

"We decided to protest because we can no longer service the loans we took from banks for our operations. We are indebted to the tune of millions of naira. We can also no longer meet with our responsibilities to our family, particularly our children who will be resuming schools soon. We are hungry and starving in the mist of plenty and dying of both air and water pollution. We want Chevron to pay us", she emphasized.

She called on the Federal and Delta state governments to wade in to the vex issues and urged Chevron to meet it's obligations to them before the situation gets out of hand.

A woman leader in Ugborodo, Madam Emily Ajekenrenbiaghan said that Chevron might be operating another MoU signed after that of 2002 which excluded them and therefore does not protect their interest and urged the company to have a rethink to accommodate them.

She therefore charged the company to be up to their responsibilities by doing the needful and also provide employment to the community people and their graduate children if they want to continue to enjoy a peaceful and smooth operation in Ugborodo.

However,Governor Okowa, through his Deputy, Deacon Otuaro visited the women to pacify and appealed to them to vacate the premises just as the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli sent the Ologbotsere, Chief Ayiri Emami to speak with the protesting women. The member representing the Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi also was on hand Wednesday to appeal with the mothers who gave a one-week grace for their demands to be met failing which they would return to disrupt Chevron operation.

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