The people of Polobubo, akaTsekelewu community, at Egbema Kingdom, Warri North Local Government of Delta State, have promised to shut down oil operations at the Opuama Flow Station in Oil Mining Lease 40.

This followed ongoing dredging activities by the operator, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company/Elcrest Joint Venture.

The community, host to the facility, gave the warning yesterday at a news conference in Warri.

The President-General of Polobubo National Council, Dr. Bright Abulu, flanked by other executive members and community leaders, said the dredging of a portion of the waterways was making access to the community difficult.

Urging the federal, state and local governments to intervene, he said his people might be cut off from the rest of the world soon, as the access waterways to the community had become shallower and big boats could no longer go in.

Abulu said the conference became necessary because efforts to have dialogue with the NPDC/Elcrest management on the issue proved futile.

Describing the effects of the “dredging and sweeping operations” of the company as “hazardous” and impacting negatively on mobility and economic activities, the community demanded that its portion of the river be dredged to save them from extinction.

2022 requesting audience between both parties were acknowledged by the NPDC management on December 31, 2021 and January 7, 2022, but the company “refused/failed to honour” the community’s invitations.

“Yet, the dredging project is going on unabated to the extent that an oil well drilling rig has been moved into our territory to carry out extensive drilling operations.

“Consequent upon the inexplicable silence of the company, it has become imperative to call this news conference to alert the management of NPDC, Delta State Government, Federal Government and the international community to the danger our people are facing and the imminent physical blockade of the community waterways as a result of artificial siltation and drying up of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community waterways by NPDC/Elcrest past and ongoing dredging activities, which is about to cut us off from the rest of the world.”

Efforts to speak with NPDC’s Public Affairs Unit were unsuccessful at press time.

OML 40 Asset Manager, Francis Anyim, said: “I’m not competent to speak on the matter”, when reached for comments.

Calls put across to NPDC’s Community Relations Manager, Dahiru A., rang out, while a text message sent was yet to be replied at press time. (The Nation)