Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Hundreds of indigenes from 14 communities in Nembe and Brass local government areas in Bayelsa State at the weekend barricaded the offshore facilities belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to protest their neglect by the oil firm.
The angry stakeholders, led by their chiefs, traditional rulers, youth, women and community leaders, took their protest to the facilities of Oil Mining Licence (OML) 77-3D located in their territorial waters.
The protesters, who hail from the communities of Odioma, Ibidi, Ewoma, Okpoma, Twon Brass, Beletiama, Liama, Diema, Okumbiribeleu, Opu-Okumbiri, Oginibiri and Sangana, said the company should stop its operations and address their grievances to avoid breakdown of law and order.
The residents, who carried placards with various inscriptions, said they decided to embark on the protest after their efforts to get the company address their demands failed to yield expected results.
They insisted that it was unfair for SPDC to continue its operations without reaching proper understanding with its host communities.
A former youth secretary in Brass, Michael Samuel, said Shell began its offshore operations without consulting 14 communities surrounding their facilities.
Michael wondered why a company as big as Shell would sideline traditional rulers, youths and women as well as other stakeholders in their operations.