From Chido Okafor, Warri
The possibility of the Federal Government meeting its oil production target set in the 2025 national budget remains threatened, as a protest by the Itsekiri Community in the Niger Delta disrupted operations at a 28,000-barrel-per-day Escravos oil production facility at Ogidigben, one of the seven communities in Ugborodo.
The Itsekiri ethnic nationality, yesterday, shut down the Ogidigben flow station in Warri, South-West Council, over the recent ward delineation in the three Warri councils by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), which, they said, marginalised them politically.
After shutting down the facility, the protesters threatened to shut down more oil facilities in their locality. Raymond Pira, who spoke on behalf of the placard-carrying protesters comprising men, women and youths, said the protest would continue until INEC reverses its results on the ward delineation in the Warri councils.
He said more oil facilities and the Federal Government establishments would be shut down until their demands are met.
“What INEC has done is terrible. We can’t even reconcile it. If you must go ahead with this process, you must play by the rules. We are not against delineation.
“The Supreme Court judgement, which INEC is relying on, is what has led to this process. We went to court and stopped the process because you can’t treat Warri Federal Constituency in isolation. Since INEC has decided to defy that court order, why don’t you do it properly,” Pira said.
The affected facility, previously operated by Shell and now managed by Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings, was peacefully occupied early Wednesday morning by men, women, and youths from the Itsekiri community.
The protesters accused INEC of deliberately reducing Itsekiri representation in the newly proposed wards for the Warri Federal Constituency while increasing wards for other ethnic groups in the region.
The aggrieved protesters also warned that additional shutdowns of oil facilities may follow in the coming days. Recall that INEC released the results of the ward delineation exercise in the three Warri councils last Friday in Asaba.
The results revealed that in the Warri North Council, made up of 18 wards, Ijaw had 10 wards, while Itsekiri had 8. In Warri South West Council with 19 wards, Ijaw had 14 wards, while Itsekiri had five. There were 20 wards in Warri South Council; Ijaw had three, Itsekiri eight, and Urhobo had nine wards.
