Protesting residents of Ogu/Bolo in Rivers State have sealed the premises of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas along Amadi-Ama in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following the death of a fisherman on the waterways.
The protesters, under the aegis of Concerned Ogu/Bolo residents, along with the mother of the deceased alleged that the company’s vessel sank boats belonging to fishermen and destroyed their fishing nets along the NLNG sea routes resorting in the death of 27-year-old Precious Imabibo, who was fishing on the river on January 20, 2024.
Following the protest, staff of the company were forced to beat a retreat as they could not access the company’s gate due to the presence of the irate youths who had sealed the entrance and refused any entrance.
Also, travelers ferrying through the NLNG jetty to Bonny Island were stranded as they could not embark on their journey due to the protest which has continued for two days running.
The protesters said the company’s vessel sank boats belonging to fishermen and destroyed their fishing nets and other implements along the NLNG sea routes resorting to the death of a fisherman identified as Precious Imabibo on the 20th January 2024.
Leader of the protesters, Samuel Diamond, while speaking to newsmen at the scene on Tuesday said since the incident, the company has not done anything to the respite of those who suffered losses.
Diamond alleged that the company has turned down all avenues for dialogue, adding that a series of letters to get the attention of the company had not been responded to.
He vowed that they would not open the company’s gate until their demands were met, noting that the company has refused to enter into a proper agreement with the community on how their vessels would be plying the sea routes without causing havoc.
Diamond stated, “We have written them (NLNG) series of letters, we even wrote a letter to the community Development Committee of Amadi-ama after our first protest on January 29, but they have not done anything.
“We now wrote a letter to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police and the police invited us through the State Intelligence Department, they also invited them (NLNG) but they refused to come.
“We even wrote to the Inspector General of Police and Amnesty International to come to our aid because NLNG cannot be operating here and their activities are killing our people.
“We are going to remain here until NLNG does the needful, even if it will take us one week. We will not only block here, we will block the route of the waterway.”
On her part, the mother of the deceased, Blessing Imabibo, expressed annoyance over the attitude of the NLNG over the death of her son by keeping mum since the incident eight months ago.
The distraught woman said she had been sick since the passing of her son.
She added that the company has remained insensitive to her plight, noting that the deceased was the only helper she had.
She stated, “This boy was the one helping me. So for somebody to take something very precious to one’s life is very bad and the way the company treated me was not good at all.
“I have been going from one police station to another, nothing has been done. My son died on January 20 and he would have been 28 years old in March if he was alive.”
But NLNG in a statement by its General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, said it is aware of the protest, saying the relevant stakeholders are being engaged towards an amicable resolution of the issue.
Odeh further said the NLNG places priority on the safety and care of its people and host communities, even as he called for calm while awaiting the outcome of the Nigerian Police probe into the matter.
The two-paragraph statement entitled, ‘Protest At NLNG Corporate Head Office’ read, “Nigeria LNG Limited is aware of a recurrence of a protest at its Corporate Head Office in Port Harcourt by a group claiming to represent the family in an incident allegedly involving an NLNG chartered passenger boat along the Amadi Creek in January 2024.
“NLNG confirms that relevant stakeholders are being engaged towards an amicable resolution. The company places a premium on the safety and care of its people and host communities, and calls for calm while awaiting the outcome of the Nigerian Police probe into the matter.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the matter was being investigated, adding that the family of the deceased and the company were invited for a meeting.
She stated, “We are investigating the matter. Both parties were with us, the deceased family, the community, and the company, were all seated here with us to discuss because the matter is under investigation.”