Posted by By EMMANUEL OGOIGBE, Warri on
A hotel belonging to the son of Nigeria's first finance minister, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, has come under attack as youths protest a Chevron-Texaco deal.
A hotel belonging to the son of Nigeria's first finance minister, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, has come under attack as youths protest a Chevron-Texaco deal.
The angry youths of Iwere Development Association (IDA) attacked and destroyed the multi-million Naira PAGEES Hotel, owned by Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh whose wife, Esther, was accused of working against the interest of the youths.
Mrs. Okotie-Eboh said her offence, which prompted the attack on the husband's hotel was caused by her refusal to yield to pressure by the youth leader, Sunny Edema, who wanted her to pay N700,00 from the house boat business hired out to Chevron-Texaco Limited operating at Olero-Creek axis in Warri North Council area of the state.
"I turned down the request because it is a liability limited company which has six shareholders. My refusal infuriated the youth leader who vowed to unseat me as the chairman of Gbokoda community," said Mrs. Okotie-Eboh amid sobs.
Putting what she lost in the attack at over N10 million, Mrs. Okotie-Eboh said on the day she was attacked, Chevron had summoned community leaders for a meeting in Warri, adding that the said meeting was eventually cancelled. But before she could proceed to the meeting venue, about three lorry loads of youths from the Iwere Development Association stormed her husband's business premises and wreaked havoc.
"IDA has nothing to do with the proposed meeting with Chevron and being a pressure group in Warri kingdom, we had always held meetings in Warri and taken decisions among the stakeholders. But, we are surprised over their action by attacking us and unlashing terror on private property," said Mrs. Okotie-Eboh who urged the law enforcement agents to bring the perpetrators to book.
But the president of IDA, Mr. Newuwuen Omolubi accused Mrs. Okotie-Eboh group of hampering progress and development in Olero-Creek area by Chevron.
He said Chevron wanted to introduce global memorandum of understanding (MOU) which would have brought to the host communities so many things, such as job opportunities for the youths, but the Mrs. Okotie-Eboh group allegedly influenced Chevron against the idea and also stopped the meeting where everything could have been solved completely.
"Until the MOU is implemented, we will not be part of this concept. Chevron has to be blamed for causing crisis among the 18 communities that would have benefited from the MOU," said Omolubi who disagreed with the idea of a woman leading a community.