Ultimatum to Chevron: Gbaramatu traditional council douses tension

Palpable tension, which has enveloped Benikrukru community, has been doused as Gbaramatu Traditional Council on Wednesday said it has waded into the face-off between Chevron Nigeria Limited and Benikrukru community.
Benikrukru, an oil producing community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, had last week issued Chevron a one week ultimatum over alleged gross marginalization of the community in areas of contracts and employment by the oil firm, failure of which they threatened to shut down the Abiteye oil field.
Sources said that tension of possible military deployment to the community had since last week gripped the locals as the ultimatum issued to Chevron expired on Wednesday.
Addressing newsmen in Warri, Ijaw leader and Spokesman of Gbaramatu Traditional Council, Chief Godpower Gbenekama said that the Traditional Council which has been worried over the aftermath of the ultimatum had decided to reach out to the Benikrukru people in a bid to resolve the impasse between the community and Chevron.
Gbenekama said that if not to the quick intervention of the council, aggrieved community people from Benikrukru would have shut down the Abiteye oil field, saying that the prompt intervention had saved Chevron from lost in oil production in its Abiteye field.
“We are very much concern with what is going on in Benikrukru and we are using this medium to appeal to the executive body, the youths, the women and elders of Benikrukru community to sheathe their swords. Let them give Chevron a chance for dialogue.
“We are sure if they give Chevron the chance, they will listen to them and address the issues raised. To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war, so our appeals also goes to all the parties to shift grounds and allow peace to reign so that the issues can be table.
“Looking at our environment, couple with the threats from different corners here and there, it behold on us to call on the Benikrukru community to sheathe their swords.
He however called on Chevron management to immediate convoke a meeting with the host community so that the vex issues raised by the community can be addressed and resolved.
“Currently the tension which the ultimatum had created has died down and we are using this opportunity to call on Chevron to leverage on this development to call the community for a round-table talk to know their grievances, Gbenekama said.
He also appealed to the leadership of the Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation led by Mr. Michael Johnny which represents all Gbaramatu communties in the EGCDF to give the Benikrukru community the benefit of the doubt to table their grievance instead of antagonizing and threatening them in the pages of the newspaper.
Gbenekama was flanked by Secretary of Benikrukru Community Elders Council, Deacon Piniki Sylvester, Gbaramatu Traditional Council member, Chief Samuel Okirika as well as some member of Benikrukru community including, Mr Victor Tonlagha, Joseph Wuruyai as well as Fanty Wariyai during the briefing.
Benikrukru people’s demand included Chevron compliance with local content law, resolution of dispute over land ownership, unresolved spill issues, employments, and contacts issues among others.