ONYEDI GABRIEL, Port Harcourt
Ijaw communities under the auspices of the Movement for Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationalities (MOSIEND) have given the ExxonMobil 14 days to stop its operation for appealing the High Court’s judgement that directed it to pay N82bn to communities in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
Rising from its meeting in Ibeno, at the weekend, the group described the firm’s decision to appeal the judgement money awarded to the communities as compensation for years of oil spill as saddening.
MOSIEND’s Organising Secretary, Dimieari Pepple; Vice-Chairman, Akwa Ibom Chapter, Patrick Ukpe Afaiko and various clans executive members attended the consultative meetings with stakeholders from the affected communities.
A statement signed by Afaikpo said the group established the truth that ExxonMobil appealed the judgment of the court.
“It is saddening to observe that ExxonMobil, rather than paying for the great damage it has done to our aquatic life, choose to spend all that sum going from one court to another.
“It is glaring the insidiousness of ExxonMobil for its inapproachable disposition depicted in its wanton sack of workers who are indigenes and the keeping of all major contracts”, the statement said.
Afaikpo said MOSIEND in its resolution agreed never again to watch ExxonMobil damage their land and aquatic life without adequate compensation.
Afaikpo said: “MOSIEND hereby gives 14 days ultimatum to ExxonMobil to stop work and other activities pending when the case in appeal court is determined.
“ExxonMobil should, as,a matter of concern, abide by this order to avert the unforeseen consequences of actions that will follow. MOSIEND will not tolerate this callousness anymore.
“Failure of this cruel company to comply with the 14-day ultimatum which will expire on the 8th day of August, 2021, MOSIEND will mobilize its units, clans, chapters, national and sister ethnic organisations including militants alike to shut down ExxonMobil operations at the Eket Terminal, ensuring that nobody enters into the company.
“We use this platform to urge all local and foreign workers to vacate the terminal for their own safety. He who is down, fears no fall, we can no longer stomach their treatment”.