By Victor Lewis
The recurring crisis engulfing the oil-rich Ugborodo Community in Warri South West Local Government Area, has been blamed on the activities JAD Group of Companies which has allegedly failed to execute any meaningful development in the area for more than a decade.
It would be recalled that JAD Group of Companies was appointed sometime in 2008 as a contractor to execute all jobs that will emanate from the NNPC/ Chevron Joint Venture and SPDC in the form of corporate social responsibility, for the development of the host community.
However, in a press release signed by the Chairman of Ugborodo Community Trust, Barrister Augustine Oborogbeyi and made available to the press on Sunday, May 21st, 2023, he accused the Company as well as a handful of self-acclaimed agitators, of escalating crisis in the area, adding that since 2008 when JAD was appointed as contractor on behalf of the community, it has been regularly awarded Contracts but has so far failed woefully to carry out meaningful development in the area.
According to the Chairman, the JAD Group of Companies has been fanning the embers of violence and crisis in a bid to divert attention from the probe of its fraudulent activities.
“Since 2008, they have recommended JAD as Ugborodo Community Contractor for Contracts in NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture and SPDC to provide from the proceeds of Contracts funds for the development of Ugborodo Community.
“The JAD Group has been regularly awarded Contracts since 2008 but carries out no development at all in the Community.
“Where are the hundreds of housing units for the Ugborodo new Town that Delta State Government contracted and budgeted Billions of Naira for? What of the Billion Naira shore protection Contract awarded to one of these agitators?
“As usual, the JAD Group is behind the current agitation which is a smoke screen to divert attention from several investigations on its fraudulent activities”, the chairman alleged.
Also accusing some sub-communities who, not only lay claim to autonomy, but connived with JAD to deny the Ugborodo Community their entitlement, Barr. Oborogbeyi clearly stated that all the communities under Warri kingdom are autonomous administratively under the over-lordship of the Olu of Warri, HRM Atuwatsie III.
While recalling that a Supreme Court consent judgment of 1972 ended the claim by some Ugborodo sub-communities to autonomy from Warri kingdom, the chairman of the Trust, added that Ugborodo Community is an integral part of the kingdom, adding that the community anchored the royal palace watch between 17th December 2022 and 27th April 2023, even as the Warri monarch visited the community sometime in April.
“All Communities in Warri Kingdom are autonomous administratively under the over-lordship of the Olu of Warri. The Supreme Court consent judgment in 1972 put an end to some Ugborodo people’ assertion of autonomy from Warri Kingdom.
“Ugborodo Community as an integral part of Warri Kingdom anchored the Palace Watch, (Ghigho – Aghofen) between 17th December 2022 and 27th April 2023 and His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse lll was in Ugborodo Community on 15th April 2023”, Oborogbeyi said.
Making further clarification, the Trust chairman recalled that “the PIA as stated by Perry Atete, is Community based, and that after the Setlors’ series of meetings with the stakeholders from the oil bearing Communities, which these characters participated in, the sub Communities of Ode-Ugborodo, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Madangho and Ijaghala submitted nominees for the PIA Board of Trustees which has since been registered.”
“Ugborodo Community is not the property of these agitators no matter how highly placed they think of themselves, including the persons in the positions of the Eghare-Aja and Olajori”.
“These same persons have been frustrating the Ugborodo Community Trust Executive under the Chairmanship of Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi for no other reason but for not being in charge of Ugborodo Community affairs, as they are used to. Their modus operandi is propagating violence and frustration of the development of the Community”, the chairman added.
Oboroegbeyi also accused the so-called agitators of insensitivity to the neglect of the community by JAD company, adding that all they are interested in is how to defraud the community and frustrate the effort of the Ugborodo Community Trust to spearhead the pressure on the company to remit all the entitlements due to the people from the contracts it has been collecting on behalf of the community since 2009.
“That is not of concern or interest of these characters. But theirs is to fleece the Community and thus the frustration by all means, of the Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi-led Trust Executive championing the cause that the JAD Group should pay all entitlements due to Ugborodo Community from the proceeds of Contracts being awarded to the JAD Group on behalf of Ugborodo Community since 2009.
“Can these people show us the benefits to Ugborodo Community on the execution of the Chevron multi billion Dollars EGTL Project”, the chairman asked.
Our correspondent learnt that there have protests by a section of Ugborodo youths who have occupied the Escravos Crude oil tank farm and loading terminal of Chevron.
It was reported to have started almost one week ago and it has paralyzed all logistics, supplies to the facility.
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