ABOH/Nigeria: The Beneku Community, in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, had accused Sterling Global, an Oil company operating in the area of exploiting Nigerians as they are not keeping to the expatriate policy of the Nigerian law.
This revelation was made in the wake of the recent attack on the community by armed military men on the people from the community who had gone on a peaceful protest to the company to ask for the implementation of the various Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU), entered between the company and the community be implemented so that many of the graduates and non graduates from the community can be engaged.
Narrating to Ndokwa Reporters what lead to the beating of the protesters, the Public Relations officer of the Community, Mr Agbalaeze, said that the military men attached under the command of one Captain Robert, without provocation attacked them, while they were discussing with the management of the company.
Mr Agbalaeze said that their demonstration was not to disrupt the operations of the company, but to express their frustration on the policies of the company, for neglecting the community when it comes to engaging workers.
He frowned at the policy, where there are close to 300 Indians working in the company, and the Nigerians are far less.
On the unprovoked attack from the military, he said that the men of the Nigerian army used all the military strengths to beat up the people, as they used booths, and the bolt of the gun to hit them, there by injuring many.
“Imagine where they have to injure an elderly man with the bolt of the gun on the stomach. The injury was much, and they started treating us in Agbarho Otor, but when they could not handle it, they moved us to the 22 Battalion, Effurun where they had to stich some of the wounds”. He said.
“A woman who was pregnant lost her pregnancy in the process. Many are still in the hospital.”
Mr Agbalaeze called on the state and federal government to intervene as the community is frustrated with the operations of the company in the area.
Efforts to speak to the Community Liaison Officer of the Company were not successful, as his phone was permanently off.
Beneku is one of the largest oil bearing communities in Delta state, with about 46 oil wells, but still one of the worst developed. It has no access road, the only possible way to get to the community, is through the pontoon which fails many times a day, and canoes.
The river separating the community and its nearest neighbour, Utagba Ogbe (Kwale), in Ndokwa West is very small that will not cost much, but from investigations, local politics and self interests among the people had deprived them of fast development, which they would had enjoyed as they are one of the communities in Nigeria that enjoy at least twenty hours on average daily. :PABOH/Nigeria: The Beneku Community, in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, had accused Sterling Global, an Oil company operating in the area of exploiting Nigerians as they are not keeping to the expatriate policy of the Nigerian law.
This revelation was made in the wake of the recent attack on the community by armed military men on the people from the community who had gone on a peaceful protest to the company to ask for the implementation of the various Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU), entered between the company and the community be implemented so that many of the graduates and non graduates from the community can be engaged.
Narrating to Ndokwa Reporters what lead to the beating of the protesters, the Public Relations officer of the Community, Mr Agbalaeze, said that the military men attached under the command of one Captain Robert, without provocation attacked them, while they were discussing with the management of the company.
Mr Agbalaeze said that their demonstration was not to disrupt the operations of the company, but to express their frustration on the policies of the company, for neglecting the community when it comes to engaging workers.
He frowned at the policy, where there are close to 300 Indians working in the company, and the Nigerians are far less.
On the unprovoked attack from the military, he said that the men of the Nigerian army used all the military strengths to beat up the people, as they used booths, and the bolt of the gun to hit them, there by injuring many.
“Imagine where they have to injure an elderly man with the bolt of the gun on the stomach. The injury was much, and they started treating us in Agbarho Otor, but when they could not handle it, they moved us to the 22 Battalion, Effurun where they had to stich some of the wounds”. He said.
“A woman who was pregnant lost her pregnancy in the process. Many are still in the hospital.”
Mr Agbalaeze called on the state and federal government to intervene as the community is frustrated with the operations of the company in the area.
Efforts to speak to the Community Liaison Officer of the Company were not successful, as his phone was permanently off.
Beneku is one of the largest oil bearing communities in Delta state, with about 46 oil wells, but still one of the worst developed. It has no access road, the only possible way to get to the community, is through the pontoon which fails many times a day, and canoes.
The river separating the community and its nearest neighbour, Utagba Ogbe (Kwale), in Ndokwa West is very small that will not cost much, but from investigations, local politics and self interests among the people had deprived them of fast development, which they would had enjoyed as they are one of the communities in Nigeria that enjoy at least twenty hours on average daily.