Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has asked aggrieved communities to notify the state government of any dispute between them and oil companies operating in their areas.
According to Wike, the approach is better than blocking roads or disrupting the operations of oil firms.
The governor stated this when members of the Ogba Traditional Council and stakeholders formally introduced His Eminence, Nwachukwu Obuoha Nnam-Obi, III, Oba of Ogbaland, to him (Wike) at Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday.
Wike in a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, stated that the state government would no longer tolerate a situation where communities block roads, stop operations of companies.
He insisted that communities must at all times first report their grievances to the state government and not resort to taking laws into their hands.
“It is not when you go and blow up oil pipelines or gas pipelines that you get what you want to get. No community can do it alone.
“There is nothing wrong with you liaising with the government to make sure companies fulfil their promises and whatever is provided in the Memorandum of Understanding. You need the government to give you support,” Wike said.
The statement added,” “Because if you recongnise the government, the first thing you will do is to let the government know that these are your grievances against the companies operating in your domain.
“It shouldn’t be to just go and take the action and say the government will come. I will not come. But you get the support if you don’t take the laws in your hands.”
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