April 6, 2012
Talks between the management of Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) at the Qua Iboe Terminal and protesting ex-militants have been postponed to April 25. The postponement followed the insistence of the ex-militants that they would talk only with the company’s top management and directors.
Talks between the management of Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) at the Qua Iboe Terminal and protesting ex-militants have been postponed to April 25. The postponement followed the insistence of the ex-militants that they would talk only with the company’s top management and directors.
The talks began a few days ago after youths in the area, who claimed to be ex-Niger Delta militants, blocked the access road to the terminal on April 2, 2012.
The youths, who numbered more than 2,000, disrupted operations at Mobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal as they turned back oil workers as well as a security convoy that conveyed expatriates to the oil field. They said they were protesting the continued neglect of the oil communities in Akwa Ibom.
The initial meeting was presided over by Ene Okon, an assistant commissioner of police and area commander in charge of Oron Area Command in Akwa Ibom. Mr. Okon represented the security agencies.
Mobil’s management was led by Akaninyene Esiere, public affairs manager at the Qua Iboe Terminal, while the team of ex-militants was led by Kingsley Umoh, the spokesman and leader of the ex-Niger Delta agitators in Akwa Ibom.
SaharaReporters gathered that the meeting, which sought to resolve the face-off between the oil firm and ex-militants, was postponed because the aggrieved youths declined to negotiate with low ranking members of staff of the oil firm.
The Mobil team requested that the meeting be postponed for at least three weeks to enable directors of the oil firm to attend the meeting.
Mr. Edoho Uqua Paul, secretary of ex-Niger Delta Agitators Forum in Akwa Ibom, said in an interview on Friday that the group had embraced the amnesty program of the federal government and had denounced violent struggle. He however warned that Mobil should not take their peaceful disposition for granted.
Mr. Paul said that his group now believed in peaceful means of conflict resolution hence their approach to dialogue with the oil firm. He added that the militants expected Mobil, as a stakeholder in the Niger Delta region where it operates, to complement the post-amnesty programs of the federal government but regretted that the oil firm was yet to do anything in that direction.
Mobil’s public affairs manager at Qua Iboe Terminal, Mr. Esiere, could not be reached for comments on the ex-militants’ allegation of neglect. He failed to take several calls to his mobile phone.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });