By Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yengaoa
Bilabiri 1 and 11 communities leaders in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa, have warned indigenes of Letugbene community in the interest of peace to stay clear of Tunu Oil Wells 4 & 5 adding that they should desists from using the Oil Wells as a platform to stage their protest against Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, as the said oil wells do not belong to them.
The warning is coming following a protest by the people of Letugbene community at the location of Tunu Wells 4 & 5 where they are demanding for employment and other entitlements from SPDC.
The community development council chairman (CDC) of Bilabiri I and Bilabiri II communities, Mr David Bazigha and Mr Esau Darosha made this known to Newsmen on Monday in a statement in Yenagoa, the state capital.
While reacting to the protest and shut down of SPDC operations by Letugbene Community, said the Tunu Oil Wells 4 and 5 belongs to Bilabiri communities and has never been a subject of litigations.
They added that it was wrong for Letugbene Community, to use the Tunu Oil Wells 4 and 5 to stage their protest against SPDC.
Both noted that using the oil wells as a protest point could be misconstrued and capable of triggering communual clash between the two communities as the said oil wells are not part of the litigations between Letugbene and their neighbouring community of Egbemo-Angalabiri.
The communities’ leaders said: “We the people of Bilabiri Kingdom comprising Bilabiri I and II Communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and landlords of Tunu Oil Wells 4 & 5 operated by SPDC.
“We wish to state that the said Oil Wells has never been a subject of litigations or disputed as it is located in Bilabiri Kingdom land and rightly belong to Bilabiri Kingdom.
“Therefore, we condemn the use of Tunu Oil Wells 4 and 5 as the location by the people of Letugbene Community to stage a protest against SPDC to demand and agitate for employment and other entitlements from SPDC.
“It is instructive to note that using our Oil Wells as a platform for the protest could be misconstrued and capable of igniting communual conflict between the communities and distrupting the cordial relationship that has existed between the two neighbouring communities.
“We understand that there is a litigation between Letugbene Community, Egbemo-Angalabiri Community and SPDC. Therefore, Bilabiri commmunities do not want to be dragged into any conflict that do not concern us.
“We are calling on the state and local governments and security agencies to caution the people of Letugbene Community to stay clear of Bilabiri Kingdom and Tunu Oil Well 4&5 in the interest of peace as any further attempt to stage whatsoever protest in the territory of Bilabiri Kingdom in whatever guise will be resisted by our people.
“We want to commend the military personnel stationed at the Tunu Oil Well 4&5 for their professional handling of the matter by way of pleading with the people of Bilabiri Kingdom to forgive the people of Letugbene Community for their trespass and provocation,” they added.
