Ijaw communities of Diebiri, Egbema,
Gbaramatu, Iduwini, Ogbe-Ijoh, Ogulagha
and Kou kingdoms, in Delta State, have
given oil multinationals operating in their
territory seven days to vacate or face dire
The Ijaw communities are hosts to flow-
stations and well heads operated by
Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Nigerian Petroleum
Development Company (NPDC), Neconde
Energy Ltd, Shell Development Petroleum
Company (SPDC) and Agip.
In a press release signed by Comrade Sherif
Mulade and 20 other representatives of the
Ijaw kingdom, made available to the
Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, in Warri, the
communities called on foreign embassies to
advise their nationals in the Ijaw territories
to vacate their personnel and contractors as
their safety would no longer be guaranteed.
The Ijaw communities also called on the
Delta State government to release N300
billion owed the Delta State Oil Producing
Development Commission (DESOPADEC)
meant for the development of the
communities.
According to the statement, the ongoing
hearing of the DESOPADEC amendment bill
at the state House of Assembly is a keg of
gunpowder with devastating consequences
if not discontinued.
“Having carefully and painstakingly studied
the executive bill at the floor of the Delta
State House of Assembly on the proposed
DESOPADEC Amendment Bill, we, in strong
terms, condemn and reject the bill in its
entirety as it seeks to rip us off of the 13 per
cent derivation fund given to the oil and gas
producing communities in the state.
“The bill is inimical to the principle of
derivation and insensitive to the
peculiarities of the oil-producing
communities.
“Therefore, we will not fold our arms and
watch the Delta State government to take
away our economic and political right by
way of politicising the 13 per cent derivation
fund meant to develop our communities
through DESOPADEC,” the statement read in
part.
