The Okirika Youth Association has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Oando PLC, demanding the settlement of long-overdue land rent for oil wells operating in their community.
The oil wells, previously owned by Agip and now under the ownership of Oando, have reportedly been operating for the past six years without any payment to the host community.
The failure to pay rent has fueled growing frustrations among the youth and other community members.
The Okirika Youth Association has outlined three major grievances:
Non-payment of land rent: The community claims that Oando has failed to make any payments over the last six years since acquiring the oil wells from Agip.
Neglect of community development projects: The youth accuse Oando of failing to invest in essential local development initiatives as part of its corporate responsibility.
Environmental degradation: The oil exploration activities have reportedly caused significant environmental harm, which the community claims has not been addressed or compensated for by Oando.
The youths also called for the immediate fulfilment of several demands immediate payment of all outstanding land rent, implementation of development projects to benefit the community, such as building schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure and environmental remediation and compensation for the damage caused by oil activities, including pollution of the land and waterways.
Oando has until Monday, September 30th, 2024 to meet these demands. Should the company fail to act within this timeframe, the youth association has announced plans to:
Occupy all Oando offices nationwide.
Organize mass protests and rallies.
Initiate legal proceedings against the company.
Tamuno Joe, the spokesperson for the Okirika Youth Association, expressed the community’s discontent:
“We have been patient for too long. It’s time for Oando to take responsibility for their actions.”
A representative from the community also added, “We will not back down until our demands are met. We will fight for our rights.”
As the deadline approaches, tensions are mounting, with the Okirika community preparing to take further action if Oando does not address their concerns.
The situation remains fluid, and all eyes are on Oando’s response to avoid potential disruptions across its operations nationwide.
