Host communities of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Limited in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State have cried out over alleged years of neglect, poor welfare and infrastructural decay, demanding improved salaries, jobs, roads, healthcare and full implementation of the company’s Memorandum of Understanding with the communities.
The peaceful protest, held on September 8, 2026, was led by underpaid host-community workers and concerned residents from Owa-Alidinma and neighboring communities.
The protesters, represented by their spokesperson, Chief Engr. Amos Ikechukwu Agbobu, the Obasogie of Owa Kingdom, called on Pan Ocean to review the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the host communities and fulfill its obligations to the people.
They demanded improved salaries for community workers, employment opportunities for qualified indigenes, better roads, healthcare facilities, schools, and other development projects.
The protesters also appealed to the Federal, Delta State, and Ika North East Local Government authorities, as well as elected representatives, to intervene in what they described as the prolonged victimization and neglect of the host communities.
Placards carried by the protesters captured their demands, with inscriptions including: “Pay us our field money,” “Pan Ocean, do our roads,” “Give us our Community Chief Security Officer (CSO),” “Due to inflation and high cost of living both home and abroad, increase our salary,” “Pay us our hazard allowance,” “Pan Ocean, follow your MOU,” “Stop employing and training graduates without the notice of the host community,” “We are the host and cluster communities, give us our rights,” and “Staff our community workers, both graduates and undergraduates.”
According to them, Owa-Alidinma, Ndemili, Obiayima, Ekuku-Agbor, and other neighboring communities had seen little or no meaningful development despite hosting oil-producing facilities.
“We need our welfare. We need good roads. We need increased salaries and employment opportunities for our people,” the protesters said.
They alleged that workers recruited from the host communities were among the lowest-paid staff compared to their counterparts in other oil companies, despite performing security-related duties and bearing risks associated with the company's operations.
The protesters, therefore, demanded an upward review of host-community workers' salaries and greater representation of indigenes in positions of responsibility within the company.
They further accused Pan Ocean of recruiting workers without adequately considering qualified persons from the host communities.
The condition of the major access road to the company's facility was another major concern raised by the protesters. They alleged that the road had been badly neglected, resulting in serious erosion and flooding.
They recalled an incident involving an elderly woman, identified as Mrs. Ogini, who they said was swept toward the entrance gate of the company's facility by flooding and died.
The protesters also lamented the absence of adequate healthcare and educational facilities in the communities, saying residents were suffering and, in some cases, losing their lives because of inadequate medical services.
They called for the provision of functional hospitals, quality schools, and other basic amenities that would improve the living conditions of residents.
The protesters further demanded a total overhaul and proper implementation of the MOU between Pan Ocean and Owa-Alidinma and other host communities, insisting that the agreement should reflect the rights and interests of the people.
They also called for the appointment of a Community Safety Officer (CSO) from the host community, arguing that residents should have a stronger role in protecting the company's facilities and representing community interests.
The protesters appealed to the Ika North East Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Monday Hunkamma Odigwe; Ika South Local Government Council Chairman, Engr. Jerry Ehiwarior; members of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Marilyn Daramola-Okowa and Hon. Chukwuyem Okoh; and the member representing Ika Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, to intervene.
They equally called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Federal Government, and other stakeholders to ensure that the concerns of the host communities were addressed.
The protesters stressed that their action was peaceful and lawful, declaring that they remained committed to dialogue and the rule of law.
“We are peaceful communities that obey the rule of law. Pan Ocean should read and implement its MOU as regulated by the laws of Nigeria,” they said.
They urged the company to reconsider its relationship with the host communities, warning that their patience was being stretched by what they described as persistent neglect.
“Pan Ocean cannot exploit our land and expect our people to remain silent. We need our rights. We need them,” the protesters declared.
Responding to the protesters, the Pan Ocean representative, Benedict Eso, appealed to the protesters to channel each of their demands to the appropriate authority concerned for proper attention and resolution.
Eso urged the protesters to ensure that issues relating to specific responsibilities were directed to the relevant authorities or offices best positioned to address them.
He pleaded for a proper and orderly channel of communication in addressing the concerns raised by the host communities.
Ika Mirror
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a Comment