Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has issued a strong warning to oil companies operating in Itsekiri communities and the Niger Delta area, saying marginalisation and neglect of his people and land would no longer be accepted.

He also advocated the setting of a new moral foundation in in the Niger-Delta particularly in Itsekiri land.

The royal father In a statement titled “ a statement of truth, responsibility and resolve,” lamented that the Itsekiri people have listened to figures, production numbers, revenue charts, academic explanations ground about oil exploration from the land.

“But today, we say clearly: those numbers no longer impress us, because they do not reflect the actual reality of the lives of our people.”

The monarch appealed to stakeholders of the PIA to prioritise the development of the Itsekiri people.

“Our priorities are clear and in this order: electricity and connectivity, potable water, healthcare, education, accessibility and employment. I place emphasis on gainful employment, without a sense of entitlement; oil companies operating in our land could do so much better when it comes to gainful employment. We are not here for window dressing, or to be considered as part of the landscape, or to be treated as necessary evil. All Nigerians can and should benefit from employment by oil companies, but the locals should not be treated or traded for other considerations. Employ our people.”

“For sixty years, hundreds of billions of dollars have flowed from these swamps, with almost nothing to show for it, in these same swamps. That chapter is closed.

In looking forward to the next sixty years—before the world moves fully beyond oil—we must all work towards leaving a lasting positive legacy, not trauma & scars.

“These next 60yrs, I want to appeal to the government, in collaboration with the oil companies: that when these things that we are asking for, once they are being approved and awarded, those who are privileged to be given the responsibility of carrying out these jobs, that it should be treated as a sacred responsibility,” the statement read

The monarch who lamented the plights of his people despite the abundant resources in the land said Itsekiri people are tired of poverty in the midst of abundant wealth, saying “we seek alignment for the common good, where the quality of our current and future lives and environment, is just as important as the economic interests of all.” “The Palace will no longer watch from a distance. Gulf oil has morphed into Chevron.

And I will not allow Chevron—or Renaissance, Seplat, Heritage, Conoil, Neconde/Nestoil, ND Western, Elcrest, Platform, Sahara Energy, & the other oil companies, —to repeat the failures of the past

“The palace is standing up for her people. We bring our voice, our authority, and our clout to stand with every oil-bearing community in Itsekiri land.” (The Sun)

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