Lagos (Lagos State) – Some youths in Ibasa/Ijegun Egba community in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos, on Monday, blocked roads leading to eight oil depots in the community.
They said they were protesting against negligence by the oil depots.
They carried placards with inscriptions as “Ibasa/Ijegun Egba Youths cry for justice; We say no to exploitation; This is inhumanity; Life is unbeatable at Ibasa/Ijegun Egba.”
They named some of the oil depots as AA Rano, First Eoyal, MAO Petroleum, Emaderm, Chipet and Bond oil and gas.
The spokesperson of the youths, Mr Babatunde Akinyanni, told newsmen that the community had been neglected for too long by both the Lagos State Government and the oil depots.
Akinyanni lamented the absence of schools, recreation centers and pipe borne water in the community, adding that most of the promises made by the oil depots had not been fulfilled.
He alleged that the oil depots had not employed youths of the community and wondered why the depots were failing in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Mr Kareem Idowu, President, Ibasa/Ijegun Egba Youths Movement, said with the presence of the oil depots in the community in the last 10 years, they had experienced oil spillages and environmental degradation.
Idowu also claimed that petroleum tankers had destroyed their roads.
“On this note, we unanimously concluded that we must stage a peaceful protest to force the oil companies to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the community.
“After this peaceful protest, we give them three days to come and meet us so that we can sit together on the issue.
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“Failure to do this, the youths will deliberate on what next to do”, he said.
Mr Sunday Lawal, a community leader, said most of the people in the community were fishermen, but unfortunately now jobless.
“Our fathers are fishermen, while our mothers sell the fish in the markets, but they are jobless now due to the arrival of these oil depots.
“All the fishes are dead and there is nothing to sell. We believe it is our obligation to come out and fight for them”, he said.
NAN reports that efforts to speak with representatives of the oil depots proved abortive as their officials said they were not permitted to speak with the media. (NAN)