Keg of Gunpowder As Troubled Oil-Rich Delta Community, Uzere, Crowns New Monarch

The eight months old political crisis in the oil-rich Uzere kingdom, Isoko South local government area of Delta State, at the weekend took a more dangerous dimension at the weekend with the crowning of a new king, HRM Henry Ukenukpepia Etuwede 111. 

  Eight months ago, the kingdom was thrown into a bloody communal crisis following a peaceful protest embarked upon by the kingdom against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) which resulted in the alleged killing of some youths by security personnel.  The palace of the Ovie, HRM Isaac Udogri 1, his wife’s retail business and other property worth millions of Naira were destroyed.   Following what the kingdom alleged to be betrayal by the king, he was dethroned under the reasoning that under the kingdom’s customs and traditions, the king should not stay out of his domain beyond a stipulated time.   Our reporter who witnessed the crowning of the new king reliably learnt that it was in fulfillment of the traditional doctrines of the kingdom following the sacking and dethronement of the embattled former king, HRM Isaac Udogri 1, who was accused of committing sacrilegious crimes against the kingdom and his people.   Performing the installation and crowning rites, the kingdom’s king maker, Johnson Adanoje who led five other king makers in the kingdom to crown the new king, expressed his happiness, describing the moment as a new dawn for the people of Uzere kingdom.   The king maker disclosed that it has not happened in the history of the kingdom where their kings will condescend so low as to connive with expatriates to fight against their own subjects and the interest of the people for selfish gains and also flee from his domain to another man’s land.   While congratulating and wishing the newly crowned king HRM Etuwede 111 a successful reign on the throne, Adanoje and the five other king makers advised him not to emulate his predecessor, adding that when the righteous are on the throne the people rejoice.   It must be noted, however, that the Justice Sylvester Ehiwario-led panel of inquiry set up by the Delta state government to probe the remote causes of the bloody crisis is yet to release its report three months after it ended sittings.   Uzere kingdom is the second place oil was found in Nigeria in 1958 after Olobiri in Bayelsa State.  Like Olobiri, its story in the past 53 years has been that of lamentation. Uzere, once a peaceful kingdom, at the peak of production yielded 56,000 barrels of oil per day from 39 oil wells in two fields, Uzere East and West, but critics say it has nothing tangible so show for it, even with continued gas flaring and pollution of its environment.   The President General of the kingdom, Chief Dr. Emeakpo Owhe (JP) has said, “It is a known fact that Uzere kingdom/land has been blessed with oil and gas in it land. It is also a known fact that Shell took the advantage to exploit this natural resources on our fatherland for the past 52 years (1958 to date) and the company did not enter into any agreement with the people since then. Consequent upon the above, we wrote Shell since February 2011 to come to Uzere to discus and firm up and GMOU (Global Memorandum of Understanding) with Uzere Communities. In the month of October, we reminded Shell on the imperative of putting a frame work in place of the (GMOU) so that we can legally know the basics of our relationship partnering and cooperation with SPDC.”   According to the community leader, “We have often wondered why Shell has refused to come and sign GMoU with Uzere kingdom when they have written GMoU with other host communities in Rivers and Bayelsa states. We cannot understand the offence these communities have committed that made SPDC continue to evade the signing of GMoU. The only hospital Shell managed to build in Uzere is not functional because it refused to fund the health insurance scheme that will enable the hospital to take off and function properly. SPDC funded a similar Obio Cottage hospital in Rivers State at N24, 000000 million naira to take off, why have they refused to fund the Uzere Cottage Hospital for a proper take off?” he asked.   While enumerating catalogue of failed promises made to the kingdom by Shell, the PG noted that “In 1981, the company agreed to supply pipe-borne water to Uzere, but reneged; failed to employ any of the 35 graduates the community negotiated with it in 1992 and whose names were sent on request; and turned down the community’s request for power supply from its flow station in 1995 adding that over the years.  There have been entreaties to Shell from the communities’ leadership for it to provide buses to the communities in Uzere kingdom but to no avail, while requests for construction of streets/roads, employment of our people and contract for the local content policy to our indigenes fell on deaf ears”.    The former ovie, HRM Isaac Udogri, who had been accused of playing according to a script prepared by some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the area, has denied all allegations leveled against him, and accused some illustrious sons of the kingdom of being behind the crisis that led to the burning of his palace, his wife’s business and other property.     He said, “I struggled on my own. I am not denying that I am a contractor. I am a contractor in NDDC, I am contractor in DESOPADEC, I am a contractor with the state government and I am a contractor with Shell. I am a contractor with Agrip and I am a contractor with Chevron. I make my money that way. I don’t touch the community’s money.”   The embattled monarch has however maintained that he cannot be dethroned by anybody in his kingdom, stating that as far as his concerned he still remains the king of the Uzere kingdom recognised by law and constituted authorities in the land.

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