ZIK GBEMRE FROWNS AT COMMUNITIES SHUTDOWN OF UTOROGU GAS PLANT ILL-ADVISED, SAYS ITS SHAMEFUL 

The 3rd April 2025 protest purportedly by 28 OML 34 host communities which led to shutdown of the Utorogun Gas Plant was most ill-advised, reckless and shameful.

While not against genuine agitation by stakeholders to address justified grievances, to do so in such disorganised manner with most uninformed persons speaking ignorance to the perceived issues of dispute is so embarrassing and tends to demean the image of the communities.

For us, shutdown protest shouldn’t be the first option for any reasonable group of people to resolve disagreements. And assuming without conceding that diligent consultations and peaceful channels have been employed without response from the authorities, the resort to protest needs to be approached with maturity and decorum.

I listened to video trending on social media over the said protest. You claim 28 host communities were in protest, but it was a vague HOSTCOM that led the protest. The supposed HOSTCOM is not a host community to Utorogu Gas Plant. It is mere contraption by political jobbers to give the false impression of a host community. The host communities to Utorogu Gas Plant are known, so are their leaders.

The protesters expressed various grievances, including accumulated scholarship arrears, wage raise for community based workers, accommodations for community workers, company refusal to employ qualified host community indigenes and disagreements delaying release of PIA HCDB funds.

If these were the issues, you would expect informed host communities and the PIA leaderships to articulate the issues and intended resolutions. Disappointingly none of these key stakeholders was present, talk much of being on the protest frontline or speaking on the grievances.

Those who spoke were not natives of Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan, key hosts to the Gas Plant, the major OML 34 assets targeted for the shutdown and the choice location for the protest.

Where were the PIA leaders, the host community EXCOs, where were the aggrieved workers? None present. In the end, a gang of most uninformed hired protesters were made to speak ignorance to the said protest.

Imagine one ignoramus identified as Godwin Okporoko, telling TVC Reporters that the Utorogu Gas Plant supplies light (electricity) to many parts of the country and beyond. Who would take such a protest serious? Does the Utorogu Gas Plant distribute electricity? It supplies gas for power generation, not distribute power.

And a supposed village woman saying OML 34 operations have taken away all the oil in their land and their crops and farms can’t grow anymore because there is no oil in the soil to help crops and plants to grow. Which company would take such protest serious?

The time has come for host communities to elect informed persons to lead and speak for them on relations building with companies they host. Even under the regime of uninformed community leaders, an honest consultation with informed opinion leaders before rushing to fly placards and shutting down the Utorogu Gas Plant would have yielded better results.

We will not allow strangers to use our land for rascally shutdown protest of critical assets like Utorogu Gas Plant. Those who are aggrieved and want to take laws into their hands should look somewhere. Utorogu Gas Plant is not a battle ground for useless shutdown protests of critical assets.

The jobbers who led that charade are from the the Plant’s host communities, don’t have a structure, home or business in the area. They shouldn’t be allowed to come, create trouble and disappear after creating problems for the indigenes.

HOSTCOM cannot speak for host communities to Utorogu Gas Plant. I call on the Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan communities not to allow the facilities in their land as a battle ground of any kind.

I condemn the illegal shutdown. This is not our way of life all these years we have been partnering with Shell and now NEPL/ND Western Ltd. Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan communities are very peaceful and have the best business environment.

Those who want to make trouble should go their communities to formet trouble. There is no room for crises in Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan communities.

Whenever we have differences we resolve them without protests. Those Merchants of crises should stay off Utorogu Gas Plant Area.

I am reliable informed NEPL(NPDC) gave the organisers of the shutdown protest N15 million naira which means NEPL is encouraging and promoting shutdown of critical facilities through protests.

We need more investments in our land and not pockets of troubles.

We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes!