Host Communities of Okomu Oil Protest blockade, digging of trenches by Company to Prevent Them of Having access to their homes

Communities hosting Okomu Oil Palm Plc, on Wednesday came out in their large numbers to protest alleged alleged blockade, digging of trench on the road leading to the communities by the company and other forms of marginalisation by management of the company.

The protest which started since Tuesday, saw men, women and youths of the communities particularly AT/P, Marioba communities coming out as early as 6:00am on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 to continues the protest on what they tagged as “Treating Us As Slaves In Our Father Land.”

Speaking to Journalists, the Edionwere of Marioba community, Chief Gabriel Eigbe Okwolegbe, accused the company of treating the host communities like slaves without them benefiting much from the company.

He added that though the palm trees of the company are at the door steps of the communities, nothing to show for being host communities, rather the company dug a big trench on the road leading to their home.

“I don’t know why this company keep treating us like slaves. You can see that the Palm Trees are at our door steps, yet there is nothing we are benefiting from the company. The only road we manage to get to our houses, the management has dug a big trench to cover so that we will no longer have access to our houses,” he lamented.

Another native from one of the communities who identified himself as Rex Akpokiniobo said “We have been enduring the arm-twisting devices of the MD of the company for too long, but this one was too much. How can you dig your trenches to block our road? How do we get to our houses or come out from our houses.”

Also, a youth leader from one of communities, Lucky Okeodion, while berating action of the company said: “Action of the MD was very barbaric and we shall continue the protest until the MD cover the big gutter with which he has destroyed our road. Sad that communities around multinational plantation companies are often treated with disdain.” 

Reacting, a human rights activist and environmentalist, Chief Ajele Sunday, blamed the Edo State government for the maltreatment the communities have been subjected to.

He said: “Edo State shares in the responsibility because it signed a contract that cannot be implemented without violating the rights of the community people. How can a state government bring investors without some caution, without check? You allow the investors to operate and act with impunity.

”On the 20th of May 2020, Ijaw-gbini Community was burnt down by security operatives of the company. The Governor pretended to set up a committee headed by one of his Permanent Secretaries,  Lucky Wasa but it died a natural death. However, the day unknown gunmen attacked the company, the Governor went there himself. So who is given so much power to these investors?,” he added.

But in his reaction, the Communication Officer of Okomu Oil Plc, Fidelis Olise said the the trench is meant to protect the palm fruits from being stolen.
According to him, “Please be informed that we did not block any road. We only dug trenches within our plantation to prevent the stealing of our fresh fruit bunches.
“The trench is on our plantation and  nobody can dispute this. The trench is not cutting them off and the road is still there for them to pass.”