A protest against the management of the Shell Petroleum and Development Company (SPDC) in Nembe community of Nemebe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State took a new dimension as women and youths disrupted and held hostage scores of traditional rulers over alleged lack of support for the oil and gas committee headed by Chief Nengi James against the oil firm.
Some of the traditional rulers and chiefs had a fortnight ago stayed away from the protest staged by women and youths of the communities and fishing settlements in Nembe Kingdom to stop oil exploration activities at the oil field of SPDC over failure to meet the demand of the committee.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY learnt that the SPDC had last week convened a meeting with the community leaders and the proposal of the oil and gas committee put forward before the company before the shut down were adopted. Top on it was the issue of electricity.
According to the communities, the action was triggered by the continued disregard of the SPDC to the agreement reached at the meeting with the company on the need to provide two CAT 200KVA before the Yuletide and pending when it will be practicable for the company to build a gas turbine for the community.