The people of oil-rich Kokodiagbene community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have issued the American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, a 21-day ultimatum for the constitution and inauguration of the Kokodiagbene Utonana Field Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Host Community Development Trust (HCDT), failure of which will lead to the shutdown of Chevron flowstation.

This was contained in a statement released on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, and that was signed for Kokodiagbene and its bloc of communities by Comr. Pedro Bekenawei (Chairman), Mr. Francis Ayeku (General Secretary), Chief Elder Paul Ukuli (Amadiwei), Elder Amos Uttoh (Elders Council Chairman, Warri), Elder Ari S. Ari (Opinion Leader), Madam Ebierede Timiyan (Woman Leader), and Comr. Blessing Laide (Youth President).

In the statement, Kokodiagbene community sighted its decision to pull out from the "Chevron Nigeria Ltd Gbaramatu PIA HCDT arrangement on grounds of marginalization and imbalance in [the] sharing of the BOT membership and proceeds to our community and its bloc of communities without recourse to the grand norms of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)".

According to the community in its statement, the issue of marginalization and imbalance was "taken by CNL with levity, hence, did not receive the needed attention from Chevron Nigeria Ltd until this ultimatum."

Goong forward, the community further threatened that failure to constitute and inaugurate the Kokodiagbene Utonana Field PIA HCDT would eventually lead to the shutdown of the company's flowstation.

"In the light of the foregoing, we want to unequivocally state that our community and its bloc of communities will not hesitate to shut down Chevron Nigeria Ltd Utonana Field operations at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum until our Field PIA HCDT is duly inaugurated," the statement reads.

Copies of the letters, as sighted by PENGlobal Community, were also forwarded to the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and to the Commissioner for Oil & Gas, as well as to High Chief Dr. Government Ekpemupolo, the PIA Coordinator and to Chevron Nigeria Limited.

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