The leaders of Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State have protested against the alleged marginalisation of the area by the Federal Government, threatening to cripple oil production in the area.
In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated July 24, 2020, signed by Chief Igere Williams and 12 others, the people said Ogulagha kingdom, made up of 30 major communities, several satellite villages under the rulership of His Royal Majesty King Joseph I Timiyan JP, is one of the highest producers of crude oil in Nigeria.
They lamented that Ogulagha Kingdom had not benefited in any way or through development projects from the federal government despite their huge and overwhelming contribution to the growth of Nigeria economy.
“In Ogulagha Kingdom, SPDC operates Forcados Tank Farm and Oil Terminal, Crude Oil Export Loading Platform, South Bank Flowstation, Yokiri Crude Oil Flowstation, Yokiri Gas Lift Flowstation, North Bank Flowstation, North Bank Flowstation, North Bank Gas Station, Estuary Oil Flowstations I and II, Afremor A and B Flowstation which consist of 56 oil clusters and more than 250 oil wells and 30 gas reservoirs.
“Other multinationals and indigenous firms in Ogulagha Kingdom are Agip, Chevron, Britannia-U, SNEPCO, Oando Plc, operating facilities such as Beniboye Crude Oil Flowstation (20) oil wells; MEJI Oil Flowstation ( 100) oil wells; AJAPA Floating Crude Oil Flowstation ( 20) oil wells; Bonga Oilfield, OML118, ( 202,000 barrels) daily crude oil production; Akpo Marginal Field ( 5) oil wells. These companies and their facilities have been on the land of Ogulagha Kingdom for several years and would be there for a long time to come.
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“The leaders also frowned at the sidelining of Ogulagha indigenes in the 2020 proposed sale of marginal fields by Department of Petroleum Resources and demanded that their indigenes who are investors must be given the Right of First Refusal in the bidding process, as Ogulagha Kingdom will not concede any marginal field to non indigenes.”
According to them, “It is wrong to refer to the Export Processing Zone (Gas Revolution Industrial Park) as Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park. The proposed 27,000 hectares of land, part of it is in the land of Ogulagha Kingdom.
“It should be rightly called Niger Delta Gas Revolution Industrial Park, as we would resist any deliberate attempt to shortchange Ogulagha Kingdom in the process and execution of the Gas project”.
They appealed to President Buhari to immediately consider indigenes of Ogulagha Kingdom for appointment into federal boards and parastatals such as NDDC, NIMASA, NNPC, Presidential Amnesty Programme, federal universities to give them a sense of belonging in the scheme of things.
