Tuomo community, host to Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, in Burutu local government area of Delta state, has shut down its oil/gas facility over breach of agreement and failure to provide basic necessities for the community.
The community folk, including men, women, youths and the elderly, armed with placards, trooped out and besieged the facility in a protest, Monday, chanting battle songs and calling on the management of NAOC to do the needful.
Some inscriptions on the placards read: “we say no to Agip, enough is enough, Agip, provide our light, no light no work, Tuomo community will not allow Agip to work until we get our light, bye-bye to Agip among others.
Chairman of Tuomo community, Mr Tomke Binebai, who led the protest, said: “Tuomo people have taken their decision against Agip and we’ll remain here until our demands are met.
“Agip has been promising and deceiving us since their operation here in 2009, they promised to provide light for Tuomo as their host. If you go to their station, there’s steady electricity supply but their host community is in total darkness.
“Enough of this insult and embarrassment, we’ve taken our decision and if they really want to operate here, let them light up Tuomo, pay the surveillance chances, employ our youths and adhere to the GMoU.
“It’s ridiculous to say that since inception, Agip has not employed a single youth in this community, they have been dribbling us and we’ve decided that we have come to stay in our own land where Agip is occupying”.