Delta community battles Chevron over electricity supply
The Commanding Officer 19 Battalion, Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, Lt. Col MA Maaji has waded into the recent protest over electricity against Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) by the people of Kokodiagbene community in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta state. Hundreds of indigenes of Kokodiagbene in the kingdom in Warri south west local government area had on February 1,2017, stormed the Utunana flow station operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) protesting against the company’s alleged refusal to supply electricity to the community and threatened to shut down operations at the expiration of a 14-day-ultimatum.
Only recently, the community raised the alarm over alleged plan by the firm to clamp down on leaders of the community over their demand for electricity supply from the company and implored the state government and relevant authorities to call the company to order. It would be recalled that on Monday, February, 20, 2017, the state government invited some of the leaders of the community to Asaba for a meeting with a view of resolving the issue.
And now the Commanding Officer 19 Battalion, Lt. Col Maaji has intervened in the lingering face-off between Chevron and the oil rich Kokodiagbene community. Our correspondent gathered that on Wednesday, March, 22, 2017, the army invited some of the leaders of the community to Koko for a meeting with a view to resolving the issue. According to our source, Lt. Col Maaji, after hearing the presentation of the community, pleaded with them to give him time to enable him engage relevant authorities over the issue.
The community, led by the Chairman, Sheriff Mulade, expressed gratitude to the army for intervening in the matter and appealed to the army and relevant authorities to prevail on Chevron to supply them with the electricity in order for the company to operate in a peaceful and conducive environment. They also informed the army of alleged plan by the management of Chevron to instigate the army against some community leaders by implicating them with negative allegations to enable security agents to arrest them but added that they were not afraid of being jailed.
