Okoyitoru community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, is set to drag Chevron Nigeria Limited to court.
Residents say this became necessary as Chevron operations had almost washed away the community landmass.
Okoyitoru, one of the host communities to Chevron-owned Makaraba field, which currently produced 29,000 barrels of crude oil daily, is on the verge of being washed off due to years of oil production in the coastal community.
In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited through their lawyer, Omes Ogedegbe, the community demanded that the oil company should commence the pilling and sand filling of the devastated community.
It noted that, “The landmass of Okoyitoru is currently washing away and if same is left unattended, the community might go into extinction, hence the only remedy is for an urgent piling and sand filing to be carried out for our client and same must be commenced within 14 days from the date of your receipt of this letter, otherwise we shall be left with no other choice than to advise our client on all legal remedies available to them.
“Our instruction upon mandate from our clients as eminently presented by Hon. Timi Oluba, chairman of Okoyitoru Development Council and other executives of our clients, is to the effect that our client is an oil producing community within the ‘Makaraba field’ in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State where your company has continually carried out the business of oil exploration activities since the year 1973.
“That our client’s daily production ratio is placed at 29,000 barrels per day with a shortfall of only 11 barrel production of your 40,000 barrel per day actual capacity production. Despite the above daily production, our client has remained a land neglected, with a people marginalised and can best be described as a place where indeed the people sit on water without water to drink.
“If same is allowed to continue, it will surely create an unpleasant situation for everyone in the area as our clients are no longer afraid, but angry that haven written several letters to press home their demand in line with modern civilization none of these have been given a favourable response”.
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