Communities threaten to stop crude supply to Warri refinery over retrenchment

Tension is brewing in the Niger Delta region over Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited’s retrenchment exercise.

There are allegations that the exercise is riddled with procedural errors, discrimination and marginalization.

The development, which is generating ripples in the region, has forced Ijaw communities to issue stern warning of possible threat to continuous piping of crude oil from Ijawland to the Warri refinery.

A group, which styled itself as Ijaw oil producing and pipeline communities in Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday threatened to cripple the piping of crude from their communities over the recent retrenchment of some of its indigenes.

The communities alleged that WRPC had singled out Ijaw people in the alleged retrenchment process riddled by procedural errors, discrimination and marginalization.

It could be recalled that WRPC had last year carried out retrenchment of some of its contract staff as part of its overhauling.

In a protest letter signed by Zikorebai Anthony, Co-ordinator, and Comrade Peter Potoki, Secretary, on behalf of Ijaw oil producing and pipeline communities in Warri and its environs and made available to newsmen on Tuesday, the Ijaw communities lamented that while other workers who were also let go same period as Ijaw people working in the firm are being recalled, Ijaw people have been discriminated and marginalized in the process.

They accused the Acting Managing Director of the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited, Engr. Solomon Ladenegan Adewale, of carrying out a deliberate procedural error in the retrenchment and recruitment exercise, which they said is targeted to witch hunt Ijaw people in the company.

They warned that if the WRPC did not reverse itself and do the needful by also recalling Ijaw people like other workers being recalled, the firm should prepare for dire consequences of its action as crude oil being produced in Ijaw communities would be stopped from being piped to the Warri refinery.