Oil Has Flowed for 60 Years, Yet Our People Are Still Poor — Olu of Warri Warns Chevron

By Naija Enquirer Staff

The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has issued a strong warning to Chevron and other oil companies operating in Itsekiri land, declaring that peace without justice is no longer sustainable after more than six decades of oil production that has left host communities impoverished and neglected.

The monarch made the remarks after touring several riverine Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, amid renewed protests against Chevron’s operations in the area.

Addressing oil companies, government authorities and internal actors within Itsekiri land, the Olu accused them of betraying the collective interests of the people.

According to him, the Itsekiri people have shown patience for decades while oil extracted from their land generated vast wealth for Nigeria and multinational corporations, with little benefit to host communities.

“For over 60 years, oil has flowed from our land, yet our people remain poor, discouraged, and tired,” the Olu said.

He added that the situation was not accidental but the result of weak regulation, divide-and-rule tactics by oil companies, tolerance of oppression, and internal compromise by a few individuals within the community.

Speaking directly to Chevron, from its local operations to its headquarters in Houston, the Olu warned the company not to mistake the peaceful disposition of the Itsekiri people for weakness.

He noted that Chevron chose to remain onshore while many oil companies moved offshore to avoid community accountability, a decision he said came with responsibility.

“Before your arrival as Gulf Oil, our people lived better lives than they do today,” he said. “Peaceful people can become desperate when decades of evidence show they do not matter. Oil companies in the Niger Delta have often responded faster to threats than to dialogue, and that is most unfortunate.”

The monarch stressed that while he continues to preach peace, it is becoming increasingly difficult to urge communities to remain calm in the face of sustained injustice.

He warned that the palace would no longer stand by while people live in poverty amid abundant natural resources.

The Olu also mentioned other oil operators, including Renaissance (Shell’s successor), Seplat, Heritage, Conoil, Neconde/Nestoil, ND Western, Elcrest, Platform Petroleum and Sahara Energy, urging them not to repeat what he described as the failures of the past.

A significant part of his message focused on internal betrayal within Itsekiri land. He accused some self-styled leaders of trading the collective destiny of the people for personal gain, acting as middlemen who profit while communities remain divided and underdeveloped.

The monarch said true peace could only be achieved through justice, equity and genuine development of host communities.