Women shut oil firm in Imo over unpaid burial rites

Protesting women from Mmahu Autonomous Community, Egbema in Ohaji Egbema Council Area of Imo state on Tuesday, shut an oil company, Sterling Global Oil Company, for refusing to fund the burial rites of three indigenes of the community.

It would be recalled that two youths, Mike Imo and Abel Chioma on March 8, were crushed to death by the security van of the company driven by some military personnel escorting a tanker loaded with crude oil out of the village while a woman injured in the crash later died in the hospital.

But, when Governor Hope Uzodinma visited the community on March 9, to commiserate with the community and families of the victims, the rear windshield of his official car was smashed by the youths of the community, who were protesting the death of their kinsmen.

The governor was said to have brokered an agreement between the community and the company reportedly agreeing to pay the families of the deceased N20 million for burial rites.

But, two months down the line, the company reneged on its promise, a development that caused the women of the community to besiege the company on Monday, forcing it to stop operating in the community until the burial rites were fully paid.

According to the spokesperson of the women, Ezinne Abigail Chimaokwu, the women were unhappy over the gruesome killing of three of their illustrious children by trucks belonging to Sterling Global Oil Company.

“The company’s trucks killed our sons and daughter for some time now, and has refused to pay the death rites of N20 million as agreed with the governor of the state who appealed to us to accept the little token and bury the deceased persons.

“We cannot bury the deceased persons because of the traditional demands which must be perfected to enable them commence their burial process else they won’t be lowered to the great beyond haven’t been met,” she stated.

Chimaokwu maintained that the women decided to shut the company and block the roads for the agreed sum to be paid, insisting that they would not leave the place until the right thing is done.

The women numbering over 500 expressed disappointment over the way the company was handling the situation, saying the entire community would fight to ensure  that the oil company no longer uses their routes for transporting of crude oil.

Addressing the women, the army commander in -charge of the area, M.S. Akabi, expressed surprise that the company had not kept to its promise by paying the N2 million.

Akabi, who expressed sympathy with the families of the deceased persons, assured the women of security if they conduct their protest peacefully.

The management of Sterling Global Oil Company declined comment on the issue when contacted.