Another Protest Looms In Rivers As Host Community Decries Marginalization By Firm
Edith CHUKU
The youths of Rumuji Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, said they are pained by the lingering marginalization, neglects of their people, allegedly by Greenville LNG Gas Plant.
Expressing their discontent, they accused the company of neglecting the host community in the areas of employment, scholarships, provision of amenities and implementation of the gas turbine electricity, which they said the company promised them on September 30, 2024.
They also faulted the company for making a Yoruba man, whose name they gave as Mr. Joseph Onyadoye, the community relations and administration director, instead of appointing a native of the land who has the interest of the people at heart.
Some days ago, the youths led by the president stormed Greenville LNG on a three-day protest with casket, demanding for gas turbine electricity and that Onyedonye must leave.
In an interview with TNN on Monday, the youth president, Mr. Anele Ogbu, lamented that the Rumuji community and its people have not benefitted from GreenVille.
Ogbu assured that if the company refuses to comply, the youths would return to the gas plant to stage another protest.
He lamented that, “the company has not done anything after the last protest, instead they have been going to police stations, going to headquarters, DSS office, Army barracks Elele, inviting us.
“We have meeting with commissioner for chieftaincy where the matter can be settled and the governor, they are now going to security operatives, they are there calling me on phone.
“They have not done anything. And all what we want is Mr Joseph Onyadoye, the community relations and administration director should leave the company, he is the one fueling crisis, he should leave the company, he should not interface with the community, we don’t need him any longer, he is the one fueling problems in the community, that position is community position, he is a Yoruba man so he hijacked everything.”
The youth president decried that, “they are marginalizing us, intimidating us. The gas turbine they said they are going to give the community, since last year, 30th September 2024, they have not done it uptil now, the one percent annual profit which they said they are going to give after they start operation, this is how many years now, they have not given us.
“So this man has been causing problem. They don’t give youth employment, they don’t give us our local content jobs, no scholarships, nothing, so those are the things we are seeing.”
On the way forward, he said, “let’s wait for the commissioner for chieftaincy and community affairs because the people that took over the matter was the local government chairman but you know the situation, so they have diverted the matter over to the commissioner for chieftaincy and community affairs, he is the one, we are waiting, they said on 7th.”
Ogbu assured that “if nothing happens and Joseph Onyedonye did not leave the site, I think we will go back there to protest.”
