Youth Protests Lead To Shutdown Of Shell Installations In Bayelsa

Youth Protests Lead To Shutdown Of Shell Installations In Bayelsa....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Angry youths and women from the Kolo Creek Cluster communities, including Elebele, Imiringi, Otuasega, and Oruma in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have shut down the Otuasega manifold and the Kolo Creek Logistics base operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The protest is in response to ongoing power outages in their communities while the SPDC base enjoys uninterrupted electricity……….CONTINUE READING

The protesters, armed with placards reading “No Light No Crude/Gas in Kolo Creek” and “We Need Stable Power Supply in Our Communities,” gathered at the facilities early Wednesday morning. They are demanding the replacement of damaged generators with a 10-megawatt plant or mini gas turbine to ensure a stable power supply.

During a visit to the protest sites, hundreds of residents, including youths and women, were seen blocking the entrance to the facilities, singing solidarity songs and playing local musical instruments.

Mr. Okala Precious, the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman of Elebele community and Action Committee chairman for the Kolo Creek Cluster communities, expressed their frustration over SPDC’s failure to restore electricity despite numerous meetings. He explained that the protest was a last resort to highlight their plight after several unproductive discussions.

“We are peace-loving people and want our country, state, and local government to thrive, so we always give peace a chance. We are protesting today because of a meeting we had with Shell, facilitated by the state government after giving a three-day ultimatum. That meeting occurred on May 14, 2024. The government proposed a two-week resolution, which expired yesterday. As peace-loving people, we are now demonstrating to demand the restoration of uninterrupted power supply to the four communities in the Kolo Creek Cluster,” said Precious.

He added, “It is not too much for Shell to provide power to our communities, especially given the resources they extract from our land. The two generators are completely down, and we are not seeing any efforts to ration power. We demand that Shell not enjoy uninterrupted power at their base while our communities remain in darkness. The government and law enforcement agencies know this protest is peaceful.”

The shutdown affects the Otuasega manifold, the rig at Otuasega, and the major location at Imiringi. Precious emphasized that the losses Shell will incur from this shutdown far outweigh the cost of providing the communities with a stable power supply, urging the company to take immediate action

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