By Sunday Apah, Ughelli,
Mister Philemon Ugedi, Adviser of Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) has stated that the call from some quarters that government should invite Gbaramatu communities alongside protesting Ugborodo-Itsekiri community for negotiation without consideration for Egbema communities, is like cracking the existing peaceful bond between the Gbaramatu and Egbema communities.
Ugedi who made this known at EGCDF office, Effurun, Delta state, yesterday, advised Chevron Nigeria Limited and Government to carry all the Chevron Nigeria Limited host communities along in all their negotiations.
He said, “all the issues and demands which the Ugborodo community are agitating for affects all the oil producing communities of Gbaramatu and Egbema kingdoms. So calling on government to invite Gbaramatu and Ugborodo communities for negotiation without the inclusion of Egbema communities is not healthy for the drive for development and goals of the Egbema and Gbaramatu communities under the Chevron Nigeria Limited GMoU”.
Ugedi advised stakeholders of Egbema and Gbaramatu to always consider the unity and bond between the two kingdoms when placing their demands before Chevron Nigeria Limited and the government. “All the communities in Egbema and Gbaramatu suffer the same fate in the hands of Chevron Nigeria Limited. The Ijaws of Egbema and Gbaramatu situation is even worse in terms of employment and empowerment issues”, he added.
He advised Chevron Nigeria Limited and government to make hast and involves the Ijaws of Egbema and Gbaramatu in their negotiations with Ugborodo community to avoid confrontation in the field as tensions are already high in the areas.
