The people of oil rich Bisangbene community in Ekeremor Local
Government of Bayelsa State have called on the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to obey a court judgment that restrains it from having any negotiation, interaction or meetings with the executive members of Dodo River Communities Forum, on behalf of Bisangbene community, saying that as an International Oil Company (IOC) of good standing in the Nigerian petroleum industry, with apparent robust knowledge of the extant Nigerian laws and judicial system, Chevron was under obligation to abide to the rule of law but not otherwise.
Speaking to journalists, Monday, May 9, 2016, at a press briefing, Mr. Timothy Geregere, a representative of Bisangbene community recalled that in the court judgment which was given in favour of Bisangbene community, in Suit Number EHC/11/2005; Hon. Amos Geregere Ezetu and 2 others Vs Hon. Berry Nengerese and 5 others, on 14th February, 2006, Hon. Justice I. Eradiri declared and ordered that neither Hon. Berry Nengerese nor any other person connected to the Dodo River Communities Forum has the authority of Bisangbene community to either negotiate or attend meetings or sign any Memorandum of Understanding or any other document with Chevron Nigeria Limited, or receive any accruable benefit therefrom, on behalf of Bisangbene community.
Continuing, Geregere noted that Hon. Berry Nengrese in concert with other persons operating as the executives of Dodo River Communities Forum had entered into negotiation with Chevron and subsequently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the guise of representing Bisangbene community, and subsequently collected benefits due the community, using same for their personal benefits. He said, “Following this ugly development, Bisangbene community, an oil bearing host community to Chevron, has continually endured bitter marginalization with attendant lack of social amenities, infrastructural development and ravaged economic history over the years.
“Faced with hash economic and infrastructural condition, even when our wealth is being frittered away by a clout of individuals masquerading as representatives of our community, we had no option than to fight our cause at the court of law, as evident in Suit Number EHC/11/2005: Hon. Amos Geregere Ezetu and 2 others Vs Hon. Berry Nengerese and 5 others.”
Geregere stressed that the judgment entered in favour of Bisangbene community on 14th February, 2013 by Justice I. Eradiri of the Bayelsa State High Court, Ekeremor Judicial Division, ordered Chevron to discontinue further negotiation or transaction with the executives of Dodo River Communities Forum, thus ordering Chevron to deal directly with the genuine representatives of Bisangbene community namely Hon. Amos Geregere Ezewu, chairman of the Community Development Committee and Mr. Goodnews Gereghewei, secretary of the Community Development Committee.
“We are constrained to submit that the management of Chevron Nigeria limited seems to be acting in defiance of the Nigerian law as it has blatantly and boldly refused to obey the judgment of the Bayelsa State High Court,” he added, while calling on the management of Chevron to toe the path of honour by duly recognizing the representatives of Bisangbene community and dealing with them appropriately on any issues bearing on their socio-economic wellbeing.
Meanwhile, a senior officer of the public relations department of Chevron Nigeria Limited, while reacting to the development via telephone said that the complaints were being reviewed by the management, promising to ensure every community is treated fairly in line with the developmental objectives of Chevron Nigeria limited.
It will be recalled that Chevron has witnessed unstable situation in its operations in recent times arising from twin vices of pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
