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Ex-militants Disrupt ExxonMobil’s Operations, Block Access To Oil Terminal In Akwa Ibom

Demonstrations by aggrieved youths earlier today disrupted operations at Mobil Petroleum Company’s Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom.

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Demonstrations by aggrieved youths earlier today disrupted operations at Mobil Petroleum Company’s Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom.

The youths, who claimed to be ex-militants in the Niger Delta area blocked the access road to the Qua Iboe terminal which is located in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom. Our sources indicated that more than 2,000 youths participated in the protests which focused on the continued negligence of the oil communities in Akwa Ibom. The protesters turned back oil workers and security convoys that conveyed expatriates to the oil field. 

The youths’ placards demanded the relocation of the headquarters of Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) to Akwa Ibom amongst other demands.

The protesting youths insisted that the oil firm must comply with the directives of the federal government to move their headquarters to the operational areas.

“The oil is from our soil, but we have no jobs,” said one of the organizers of the protesters. He added that, once the company’s headquarters are relocated from Lagos to Akwa Ibom, some of the ex-militants would get the jobs promised to them when they agreed to lay down arms and embrace non-violence.

Mr. Kingsley Umoh, a spokesman and leader of the ex-Niger Delta agitators in Akwa Ibom, said that the youths were appalled that Mobil had failed to live up to its obligations to the communities.

“What we are protesting against is long term negligence of the oil bearing communities in Akwa Ibom by Mobil. The level of poverty and underdevelopment in the communities is unacceptable. The government had enjoined all oil companies to create jobs to engage the youths meaningfully,” he said.

The spokesman added that Mobil had not moved to address the scourge of unemployment ravaging the area. “In the case of Mobil, rather than create jobs, they have been taking away the vital departments where our youths are engaged and leaving the youths to wallow in idleness,” Mr. Umoh said.

Pleas by a top police officer to allow passage to Mobil workers were rejected by the youths who insisted that the road should remain blocked while talks were ongoing. At the scene were armed security personnel led by Ene Okon, a police area commander. 

The officer pledged to preside over a meeting with the management of Mobil and the youth leaders to resolve the face-off.

Hundreds of oil workers, contractors and visitors to the Qua Iboe Terminal remained stranded for hours on the Eket Ibeno road and later turned back to their homes.

Mobil Producing Nigeria, an ExxonMobil subsidiary, operates a crude processing facility and a crude oil export terminal in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom.

The leaders of the protesters, various security operatives and officials of the oil firm later entered a closed door meeting in the premises of MPN. Even so, the road leading to the terminal remained closed during the parley and as at the time of filling the report.

 

 

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