Chuks Eke, Awka
Barely a week to the expiration of a two-week deadline issued by the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas in Anambra State, (HOSCON) to oil drilling companies operating in the state to come forward for negotiations on the way forward, HOSCON has reminded the companies of the need to comply with the directive or be prepared to vacate the state.
HOSCON had issued the ultimatum to the three oil prospecting companies operating in some communities of Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, asking them to come for negotiations that would protect the interest of both the companies and the host communities. This, it said, was to avoid the fury of angry youths who had been itching to disrupt activities of the oil companies at the expiration of the deadline.
Chairman, Elders Advisory Council of HOSCON and traditional ruler of Ifitedunu community in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra state, Igwe Dr. Emeka Ilouno, who made the reminder in Awka, Anambra State capital, on Wednesday, said the youths had almost gone berserk and were waiting to confront the oil companies but the elders had been holding them, adding that the fear was that after the deadline, the youths mightgo out of control and cause mayhem.
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The monarch, who identified the oil companies as Orient Petroleum Resources, Sterling Global Resources and Oil India, lamented that they had been drilling out barrels of crude oil in some communities and selling same for years now and making their money in millions without due consultation with the host communities, adding, “Right now, Sterling and Oil India are operating at Ogwuikpele oil site, Anyagaugbo location and Aninri location all in Ogwuaniocha community of Ogbaru.
Ilouno lamented that these oil companies were given licenses by the Federal Government for oil exploration only, but after the exploration and discovery of commercial quantities of oil and gas in some communities there, they went into drilling and selling without any negotiation with the owners of the land and without any remuneration to the state and federal governments.
Flanked by Hon. Harry Okongwu, a national officer of HOSCON and Mrs. Joy Igboka, National Assistant Financial Secretary, Igwe Ilouno stated that during their visits to the oil fields at Aguleri/Umueri in Anambra East Local Government Area where Orient Petroleum is drilling oil, and Ogwuikpele/Ogwuaniocha communities in Ogbaru Local Government Areas where Sterling Global and Oil India are drilling, they discovered that a lot of barrels of crude oil were being channeled to Oguta through pipeline for their personal enrichment.
Specifically, Igwe Ilouno disclosed that in the case of Orient and Sterling, they operate openly day and night, while Oil India operate secretly at nights, adding that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) could claim ignorant of this booming oil business going on in Anambra State as to warrant giving the state 13 percent derivation.
According to the monarch, “We are wondering why the federal government has not deemed it necessary to give Anambra state 13 percent oil derivation and recognise it as an oil producing state, even years after former President Goodluck Jonathan declared it an oil producing state.
“Lagos State, which was declared oil producing state with Anambra, is now receiving its full shares as an oil producing state but Anambra which has the largest quantity of gas deposit is yet to receive anything, rather, these oil companies who were given licenses for only oil exploration, have gone beyond their scope into full blown oil prospecting.
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“Federal Government knows that oil is being drilled in many wells in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state and the oil; is being piped to Oguta in Imo state and yet nobody is giving the state credit for the oil, even when the quantity exceeded 10,000 barrels per day, BPD.
“They laid an oil pipe from Ogwuaniocha to Oguta because Ogwuaniocha has a boundary with Imo state and they do this oil deal in full glare of uniformed security agencies, yet the companies do not deem it fit to come and see we the owners of the land where they are drilling the oil from.
“In concrete terms, Anambra state is in dire need of NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and 13% derivation, apart after negotiating terms with host communities as landlords and it is in the course of our negotiations with the oil companies that they will tell us what to do get our credit. If the oil companies are not ready to cooperate with us, let them leave our land alone because we have so businessmen who can drill the oil and refine them”.
