BAYELSA COMMUNITY OF KOROAMA PROTESTS ABSENCE OF ELECTRICITY-STOPS SHELL’S GAS PIPELINE INSTALLATIONS 28-03-25
By Sadiq Aminu. Aggrieved members of Koroama community in Gbarain Kingdom in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa have embarked on a peaceful protest against a multi-national giant, demanding provision of basic amenities such as electricity supply and water to the area.
Consequently, they erected a banner obstructing half of the main road while halting ongoing installation of a gas pipeline in the community to drive home their grievances.
Africa247 Correspondent reports that locals said despite entering into an agreement with them ten years ago, the Shell Petroleum Development Company has yet to fulfil its promise of providing power supply to Koroama community.
Koroama community which is in the Gbarain Kingdom of Yenagoa Local Government Area has been host to Anglo-Dutch oil conglomerate, the SPDC since 1970s.
Host to the Koroama oilfields under Gbaran/Ubie project operated by Shell, it produces about One Billion Standard Cubic Feet (SCF) of gas and more than 70,000 Barrels of Crude oil per day. Despite this huge Oil and Gas production, the community still lacks basic infrastructure and social amenities.
Expressing their grievances, natives have blocked half of the main road into the community with a banner that reads ‘ SPDC, No Light, No Work, No Operation in Koroama Community’ as work has been halted around the right of way of the SPDC facility where staff were laying 16 inch gas pipeline at Epu heading to Kaiama.
Chairman of the Koroama Community Development Committee, Mr. Okoba Fewai and the Secretary of the CDC Mr. Kosuowei Douyibaraso said they have suffered neglect for too long, vowing to stop all operations until they are given electricity, water and other amenities.
A former Secretary General of the Community, Mr. Kuku Owen and a native, Mr. James Timinebi said the gas pipeline being laid were too close to residential houses which portends danger to the people as they also feel the effect of gas flare while appealing to the SPDC, government and Tantita Pipeline Surveillance Contractors to come to their aid.
Programme Manager of the Environmental Defenders Network. Mr. Akpotu Ziworitin calls on the multinational company to comply with international best practices while urging regulatory agencies and government to be alive to their responsibilities.
Technical Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Chief Alagoa Morris noted while the Bayelsa State government is trying to bring SPDC and the Koroama community to dialogue, it was important for the company to keep to previous agreement of providing electricity to the community.
The SPDC says it has made interventions in the past in the community just as its Gbaran-Ubie Integrated Oil and Gas Plant supplies back-up power to two other neighbouring communities under an agreement entered into with host communities in 2006, at the project conception stage but due to the limitation imposed by the power capacity of the plant, it has been unable to accommodate other communities’ requests to key into the electricity system.