Yenagoa—The people of Sangana, a coastal community in Bayelsa State and one of the hosts to Consolidated Oil and Gas (Conoil) operating OML59 Sangana, have threatened to shut down the company’s operations in their territory if it fails to meet their demands within 48 hours.
This is coming on the heels of the recent killing of one Sangana youth, Mr. Ikiowori Benson during a peaceful protest at sea.
Mangrovepen.ng recalls that, on Monday morning, security agents attached to an offshore platform owned by Conoil shot unarmed youths when they peacefully approached the facility to demand the implementation of the Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the company and Sangana, including other demands.
At a press conference held in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Friday, the people of Sangana demanded N1b as compensation for the family of the deceased and the immediate implementation of the four consecutive MOUs the community had signed with Conoil in the last 12 years.
Some of the speakers include HRH Moses Theophilus, the paramount ruler of Moko-Ama, the Sangana youth leader, Mr. Ambrose Timpre Ayah, Mr. Ayebakuro Bina, Miss Iyamokumo Felagha, inter alia.
According to the speakers, Conoil is yet to provide medical relief and duly compensate Sangana residents for the November 2021 toxic gas explosion that occurred at Adriatic-1 a contracted rig operating within OML 59.
Conoil is yet to recognize the Board of Trustees constituted by the Sangana leadership as provided by the Petroleum Industry Act, thereby denying its benefits as a host community, they alleged.
They equally frowned that since the brutal attack on the defenseless youths, Conoil has kept mum and refused to engage any stakeholder of the community.
