BBC Monitoring Service (UK): Inhabitants of southeastern Nigerian state sue oil companies over "injustices": Saturday 19 November 2005

Text of report by Nigerian Rhythm FM radio from Rivers State on 18 November

The people of Oguta local government area of Imo State [southeastern Nigeria] have dragged all the oil companies operating in the area to court.

The [local government] council chairman, Gerald Iroha, told journalists in Owerri that the move was intended to correct the injustices that had been done to oil communities in Imo State. He also disclosed that most of the companies had refused to pay their tenement rates to the council.

He also accused the Governor Achike Udenwa-led government of registering some of the youth associations that foment trouble in the area.

Correspondent Cajethan Nwakanma reports that Shell and Addax are some of the oil companies that operate in the council.

Source: Rhythm FM, Port Harcourt, in English 0600 gmt 18 Nov 05

BBC Monitoring

BBC Monitoring/© BBC.

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