Oil Exploration: UIY Insists Only Olu of Warri Can Negotiate with Oil Firms, Gives Chevron 21-Day Ultimatum

Funmi Ogundare

The Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths (UIY), the apex youth body of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, has declared that only the Olu of Warri has the legitimate mandate of the Warri Kingdom to negotiate with oil exploration and production companies operating in the area.

It warned oil firms, particularly Chevron, to desist from engaging with any other individuals or groups.

The National President, Comrade Joseph Okotie, in a statement, said the group issued a 21-day ultimatum to Chevron to commence negotiations exclusively through the Olu of Warri or risk a total shutdown of its operations within Warri Kingdom.

UIY accused Chevron of years of marginalisation and neglect of Itsekiri host communities, despite extensive oil production across several facilities within the kingdom, including Abiteye, Olero, Otu Nana and Dibi flow stations.

The group lamented that oil wealth extracted from the area has not translated into development for the host communities.

According to UIY, “The people of Warri Kingdom continue to suffer from lack of electricity, unemployment, inadequate training opportunities, absence of healthcare facilities and widespread poverty. This is indeed, exploitation and gross neglect by the oil firm.”

The youths outlined a set of demands they described as fair, reasonable and consistent with global best practices.

These include equitable employment opportunities for qualified Itsekiri youths across Warri South, Warri North, Warri South-West and Warri Central; transparent and inclusive award of contracts to bona fide host community indigenes; structured empowerment, training and human capital development programmes; and full open-camp access to all Itsekiri host communities.

UIY further stressed that negotiations conducted through any community or group outside the authority of the Olu of Warri would be rejected

It noted that Ugborodo represents only a fraction of Chevron’s Itsekiri host communities, insisting that the Olu of Warri remains the only trusted authority to negotiate on behalf of all Itsekiri communities.

The group warned that failure by Chevron to comply with its demands and engage through the Olu of Warri within the stipulated 21 days would result in decisive action, including the shutdown of all the company’s operations in Warri Kingdom.