Koroama women protest alleged neglect by Shell

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

YENAGOA – Women of  Koroama in Taylor Creek, Gbarain clan, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, host community to Shell Petroleum Development Company, have protested against perceived neglect by the oil company.

No fewer than 200 women, blocked the community main road, chanting war songs with leaves and placards. They claimed that the oil company with vast production facilities in the community had denied the people basic amenities and employment opportunities.

Chief Imomotimi Wariowei, who led the protest, said: “Shell is taking our oil and has continued to deny the community potable water, health centre, light; employment of our youths and adequate intra community roads.”

“We were told that gas Shell is taking from our land is the largest, our community being the largest natural gas reserve in West Africa. The water we drink here is from the Taylor Creek, contaminated with all the pollutants which make our people sick,” she said.

Among their demands, she said were for Shell to construct concrete roads in the community and deliver other basic infrastructures, provide scholarship for undergraduates as well as skills acquisition centres and employment opportunities for the idle  youths.

She said Shell had done more for  communities where they have less production interests, vowing that the women would not return to their home until they demands were addressed.

However, under an existing Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMOU, between Shell  and a cluster of 10 Gbarain Fields communities, including Koroama, the community shares the company’s provision for N72million, reviewed to N90m to assist development of the host communities, but the women insisted they would not be part of the GMOU, which they discredited as fashioned to shortchange the people.