Leadership crisis brews in Bayelsa oil community
Acrisis is brewing in Bi l abi r i 1 community in Ekeremor Local G ov e r nme nt Area of Bayelsa State over leadership tussle in the Mien Cluster Development Board ( CDB) that administers funds from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
Bilabiri 1 community has petitioned Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, deputy governor of Bayelsa State that a recalled representative of the community on the board, David Otitis was still being recognised by SPDC and Bayelsa State Government.
The petition said the Mien CDB was inaugurated in October 2018 for a five-year tenure, but the recall process for Otiti commenced on July 14, 2020 less than two years into the five-year tenure.
In a letter to the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, sighted by our correspondent, the intervention of the state government would nip the brewing crisis in the bud and preserve the existing peace for oil and gas exploration in the state.
The letter, signed by Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman, David Bazigha, Otiti Miebiotu, paramount ruler of Bilabiri 1 and the youth president, Elijah
Obon is seeking government intervention to avert the crisis and preserve the existing peace in the area.
The community urged the state government to prevail on officials of the state Ministry of Mineral Resources to effect the decisions of the community by invoking the recall as spelt out in the Global Memorandum of Understanding ( GMOU) without further delay.
They warned that if their demands were not met within seven days, they would be left with no option than to
shut down oil facilities at the Estuaries Area oil field operated by SPDC despite the industrial harmony they have maintained since July when the recall process started.
The letter read in part: “Having met all conditions required for the recall, the people and leadership of Bilabiri 1 Community have resolved to shut down oil facilities within 7 days if the ministry officials continue to dilly-dally in carrying out its duties as required.”
According to t he
community, it is regrettable that since the community unanimously recalled Otiti and communicated same to the Ministry of Mineral Resources, officials of the ministry were yet to act to enforce the recall.
They alleged that officials of the ministry have been compromised to take steps to undermine the power vested in the community by virtue of the convention and the Operating Principles and Procedures Guidelines ( OPPG) of the GMOU between SPDC and the community.