Itsekiris Threaten Shutdown of Chevron Tank Farm, Renaissance, NEPL, Conoil, and Other Critical Facilities

The Itsekiri ethnic nationality has threatened to shut down the Chevron Nigeria Limited Tank Farm in Ugborodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area, as well as the company’s Dibi and Olero Flow Stations in Warri North Local Government Area, within the next 24 hours. Other critical facilities in their domain facing imminent shutdown by angry Itsekiri youths include
Renaissance operations in Otumara, Ogidigben, and Makaraba Flow Stations, as well as assets belonging to Conoil Producing, NGIC, and NEPL E&P.

The youths warned on Monday, June 8, that these critical national assets, including all coastal offshore operations, will be shut down if the Federal Government fails to address their demands.
This development follows reports that some Ijaw women, allegedly acting on the orders of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), invaded the Chevron Nigeria Limited Mini Abiteye Flow Station in the early hours of Monday, June 8, with the intent to disrupt the company’s operations.

Speaking on the crisis, the Convener of the Warri Reclamation Thrust, Comrade Tsaye Mene, stated:

”If the Federal Government had been proactive during the early stages of this delineation controversy by sacking all compromised INEC staff members, particularly Prof. Rhoda Gumus, who perpetuated the delineation fraud, discarding the fraudulent INEC delineation proposal, and directing INEC to carry out a fresh exercise properly in line with the Constitution and its own guidelines, the situation in the Warri Federal Constituency would not have deteriorated to this level. The impending shutdown, which will unleash a dire economic disaster on the nation, could have been avoided.

”The Itsekiris, who own the major oil facilities and crude oil wells in Delta State and account for 35 percent of the crude oil and gas in Nigeria, shall shut down Otumara, Sahara, and Ogidigben, which produce over 130,000 barrels of crude oil per day; Dibi and Olero (OML 49), which produce over 150,000 barrels per day; OML 150, which produces over 200,000 barrels per day; as well as our offshore locations, which produce over 200,000 barrels per day, among other locations.”

The Convener further alleged that the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the National Boundary Commission, and INEC are sabotaging national interests for personal gain, to the detriment of national security and economic stability.

The Warri Reclamation Thrust and the wider Itsekiri community have vowed to force an economic standstill if the government continues to encourage Tompolo and Ijaw expansionists in their reckless actions within the Warri Federal Constituency. They maintained that the only way forward is for INEC to completely discard the fraudulent proposed delineation of units, wards, and constituencies.

Furthermore, they demanded the immediate sack and arrest of Prof. Rhoda Gumus and her accomplices, the immediate removal of Tantita Security Services from the Itsekiri homeland, and the withdrawal of all security details attached to Tompolo, Matthew Tonghala, Keston Pondi, and their collaborators.