Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Chiefs,youths and women of Umuebe in Ama community of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area in Rivers state have shutdown the operations of Total/EMP by barricading all roads leading to the entrance of the company.

The shut down began Wednesday night.

The protesters accused the company of neglect of their community.

The Paramount ruler of Umuebe, Chief Innocent Ogada said the company has poor community relations and accused it of not giving jobs to his people. He also accused the company of ‘non-recognition’ of contractors from the community since 1991 when the company started its operations amidst them.

Ogada said the company must sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU,with his people before they could lift the barricade.

Speaking in same vein,the Youth leader of the community, Newman Ogada lamented that youths of the areas have resorted to cult related activities and gangsterism due to unemployment and lack of patronage by the multinational company.

He wondered why the company continued to take the families that owned the land they operate upon for granted for about 23 years without regards to the welfare of their hosts.

TOTAL/EMP was yet to issue a reaction to the protest by the community.