Governor Nyesom Wike,has warned oil bearing communities in Rivers State, to desist from the habit of disrupting the operations of oil companies operating in their domain as the only way of extracting favour from them.
He said there is greater gain communities can derive when they notify the State government of any dispute they may have with oil companies operating in their areas.
Wike,who gave the warning when members of the Ogba traditional council and stakeholders formally introduced His Eminence, Nwachukwu Obuoha Nnam-Obi, III, Oba of Ogbaland to the governor at
Government House, Port Harcourt,observed that most communities take to violence and think it is the best way for them to get what they want from any company.
He disclosed that the state government will no longer tolerate a situation where communities will block roads, stop operations of companies and think government will intervene on their behalf, insisting that communities must at all times first report their grievances to the state government and not resort to taking laws into their hands.
“It is not when you go and blow up oil pipelines or gas pipelines that you get what you want to get. No community can do it alone.
“There is nothing wrong with you liaisoning with government to make sure companies fulfil their promises and whatever is provided in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). You need government to give you support.”
Governor Wike said the support the state government can give should first be sought by the community, which will enable them not to take the laws in their hands.
He said that any community that engages in avoidable violent protests against any company can also not use such to intimidate government because they will be left to their fate.
He added:”If you recongnise the government, the first thing you will do is to let government know that these are your grievances against the companies operating in your domain.It shouldn’t be to just go and take the action and say government will come. I will not come. But you get the support if you don’t take the laws in your hands.”
