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Workers/Youths Tussle Not Related to Train 7 (Investigation)

By Chamberlain Noble

Jun 4, 2022

A recent incident involving some surveyors and other geological professionals at the Government Reserved Area of Bonny metropolis has been discovered to be unrelated to the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project as erroneously propagated, Kristina Reports can authoritatively report.

Rumours including social media posts had insinuated that some Train 7 workers were assaulted in their hotel rooms and later dispatched out of the Bonny, home of the NLNG Train project due to issues related to the review of salary structure and employment parameters for the project. But Kristina reports found this to be untrue.

Recently commissioned Bonny Consulate built and donated to Bonny Kingdom by the Nigeria LNG.

A stakeholder involved in the salary structure negotiations for the Train 7 project, who preferred anonymity, confirmed to Kristina Reports that no such incident happened, stressing that instead it was isolated issue involving some surveyors who came to work on a project at Ayama (Peterside) Community on the western flank of the Bonny River.

“What we know is that some surveyors, who came to work on a project in Ayama (Peterside) Community but obviously their company did not go through the right channels, had some disagreements with some youths but that has been resolved. It has nothing to do with Train 7 or those working there.”

Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Bonny

An eyewitness, Ukpong Duke, told Kristina Reports that the incident was as a result of some misunderstanding between some youths who were arguing that the surveyors were in Bonny to work on the Train 7 project, revealing that “one of them insisted they go to the hotel to ask the workers”.

“On getting there that morning, the men (surveyors) were at a loss as to why they were being questioned and called their colleagues out from their various rooms to witness the drama. I was there. They explained to the boys that they were there to work on a project involving pipeline routing determination for one of the multinationals and they have nothing to do with Train 7.”

The Promise Restaurant, Bonny

“Nobody was beaten or injured, even when the overzealous ones asked them to sit on the floor, a senior man came and asked them get up and followed him to somewhere for them to resolve the matter. So, for me, there was nothing like Train 7 problem there.”

Kristina Reports later visited the incidented hotel (names withheld) to ascertain what actually transpired. A staff of the hotel, who declined identification as she was not authorized to speak on the matter, denied anyone was gained access into the hotel rooms.

The oldest church in Nigeria, the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Bonny

“We don’t do such here. We do not allow outsiders to go into our guests’ rooms, nothing like that happened here. Nobody was beaten and nobody was harassed, at least not in our premises.”

Kristina Reports was unable to reach any official of the Bonny Local Government Council for their reaction to the incident, but a staff of the LG Council, who spoke in confidence, asserted that “you know our Madam (LGA Chairman), she would never allow anyone, be they indigene or non-indigene to be harassed let alone beaten up.”

Aerial view of the Industrial Axis of Bonny Island: from the foreground are the site for the Federal Government proposed Bonny Deep Seaport; ExxonMobil’s Bonny River Terminal (BRT); Nigeria LNG’s Gas Liquefaction Plant; and Shell Nigeria’s Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal (BOGT).

“Bonny is a peaceful and hospitable community where people from all walks of life come and work and do business without any molestation. We welcome everyone to our community, why are they trying to paint us and our community in bad light?”

It is a well acclaimed notion that Bonny Island in Rivers State, Nigeria remains one of the most peaceful islands globally, with one of its communities, Finima, being recognized with an award of the most peaceful community in Africa.

Bonny, which is the headquarter of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, and its adjoining communities are hosts to facilities belonging to several international oil and gas companies (IOCs), and it is on record that none of these firms have had their oil and gas activities interrupted by militancy or any other security challenge.

Aside Government School, Bonny and Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS) boasting of an agelong alma mater comprising several national and international figures, Bonny Island is host to several federal government and private sector institutions, which have continued to function without let or hindrance.

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