From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Youths of Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers, have shut down the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Ob-Ob Gas Plant located along Obrikom in the area.
The Omoku youths were said to have blocked the entrance to the facility at about 6:00am yesterday, thereby paralysing business activities at the Italian multinational oil firm.
Vice President of the youth’s association, Emeka Agbaere, confirmed the incident to newsmen, saying they staged protest over insensitivity of the management to their memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Agbaere said the group had written several letters and reminders to the management of the company without receiving any reply.
The youth leader recalled that after banning the association seven years ago by the administration of former governor Chibuike Amaechi, in February 2016, Governor Nyesom Wike lifted the ban.
He disclosed that following the lift of ban, the association wrote to the management of Agip informing them that they had been permitted to continue their activities in the area, but received no response from the company.
“We wrote several letters to Agip to recognise the group after the ban was lifted by the current administration. There was no reply to that effect, until we managed to shake them before the management listened to us on April 26 this year. Another meeting was scheduled for June 17. We met with the general manager, but nothing has come out of the agreement till date.”
Agbaere vowed that there would not be room for dialogue, until the company has commenced implementation of outstanding MoU, adding that the company would remain shut down until the youths were satisfied with the company’s response.
