July 15, 2002
Posted to the web July 16, 2002

Sola Adebayo

PROTESTING Ugborodo women in Warri South-West local government council of Delta State last weekend turned down pleas to vacate the multi-billion naira Escravos tank farm of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) as their action enters its 7th day today (Monday).

By implication, their action had made normal loading of crude oil for exportation in the tank farm, impossible for seven days.

The meeting held to resolve the lingering face-off between the women and Chevron's management ended in a stalemate last Saturday as each side stuck to its position on the contentious issues which borders on the improved living conditions for Chevron's Ugborodo host communities.

However, security has been beefed up in and around the facility to prevent untoward action by the protesters. Our correspondent who visited the area last weekend noticed heavy presence of soldiers, naval personnel and policemen.

Two gun boats were sighted in the area with one of them stationed at the tank farm while the other patrols Ugborodo rivers.

The gun boats were mounted with machine guns and about 200 security personnel keeping vigil.

The aggrieved women had on Monday, last week, seized the crude oil loading terminal to protest the alleged neglect of the areas by CNL in the past 32 years of its operation in the six Ugborodo towns.

The protesting women through their leader, Madam Anunu Uwawah had demanded provision of social amenities and involvement of their kinsmen in the company's employment and contractual policies, among others.

Vanguard learnt that series of meetings had been conveyed between the protesting women and CNL's management with no appreciable progress, forcing the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II to intervene by sending high-powered team to act as facilitators between the two groups.

The Olu's team was led by the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Mabiaku.

Vanguard correspondent learnt that Mabiaku's team could not succeed in reconciling the groups at the meeting held at Ode-Ugborodo last Saturday.

Mabiaku told Vanguard yesterday morning that the meeting ended in a stalemate because of the sharp differences between CNL team and the women on the employment policies of the American oil giant.

The women, according to Mabiaku, had insisted on 60 per cent of the skilled and 100 per cent of the unskilled labour force for their kinsmen.

Besides, Mabiaku said they demanded that the position of the Operation Manager (Escravos) and two other key positions be reserved for Ugborodo indigenes as it was the practice in other areas such as Bonny in Rivers State.

Mabiaku added that the embattled women also requested the employment of women at CNL's Escravos operation, protection of the Ugborodo towns against erosion menace and immediate sand filling of the site of the Ugborodo New Town to signify the commencement of work on the project abandoned since 1993.

The Iyatsere of Warri told Vanguard that the inability of Chevron to give a firm commitment on the aforementioned issues led to the abrupt termination of the meeting.

However, it was gathered that CNL management led by its Deputy Managing Director, in charge of Asset Management, Mr. Dick Filgate, had, before the meeting was terminated, agreed to provide water and electricity from its tank farm to Ugborodo towns, rebuild the burnt down schools, build staff quarters for the schools at Ugborodo, Ogidigben Esalla, Madagho, Egboegwugun and Ajudaibo.

Other requests conceded by Chevron, according to Mabiaku were the provision of welfare programmes for women, involvement of women in the company's contracting policies, and provision of 15 slots into the mainstream of CNL's direct employment.

No date was fixed for the continuation of the botched meeting attended by Filgate, Chevron's General Manager Public Affairs, Mr. Sola Omole, Tank Farm Security Manager, Mr. Michael Nwaka and Mr. Yemi Emiko, CNL's Acting Public Affairs Superintendent (Escravos).

The Ugborodo team was led by the chairman of Ugborodo community - Labour and Manpower Development Forum, Mr. Evic Igba, with the forum's adviser, Mr. Dan Mayuku, Secretary General, Mr. Victor Omunu, Public Relation Officer, Mr. Tony Mene and Madam Anunu Uwawah as well as Mercy Olowu for the women.

Meanwhile, a leader from the restive area, Mr. Sandys Omadeli Uvwoh has called on the government to summon a meeting of all stakeholders of Ugborodo host community in order to discuss all the contentious issues and lay them to rest once and for all.

Uvwoh noted that such a conference was desirable "because of good number of indigenes were presently not allowed into the Ugborodo community, so everybody should be called in to engage in meaningful discussion and negotiation so as to enjoy a final peace at the end of the day."