From Joseph Obukata, Warri
Palpable tension is mounting in oil producing host communities of Ugborodo, Deghele and Ugboegungun in Warri South-west Local Government Area of Delta State, as the two-week deadline reportedly handed down to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to implement its verdict on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as it relates to the Itsekiri host communities draws nearer.
Daily Sun gathered that indigenes of the communities are unhappy that Chevron was yet to heed the directives of NUPRC to commence the process of registration of the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) with the host communities for the implementation and operationalisation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Arising from an emergency congress on Saturday, to appraise the two-week deadline, which is expected to elapse tomorrow, the communities vowed never to back down on their quest for the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as it relates to its Itsekiri host communities.
Deliberating on the issue during the congress, the indigenes were informed of the earlier directive of a meeting held November 28, at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, between the Commission, representatives of Chevron Nigeria Limited, the host communities of Ugborodo, Deghele and Ugboegungun, as well as the representatives of Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
A leader in Ugborodo Community, Mr. Alex Eyengho, who read the NUPRC’s report to Ugborodo indigenes at the congress, said Chevron Nigeria Limited was asked to convene a meeting to be midwifed by the Warri office of Commission, with a view to examining closely how the delineation of host communities was conducted, to ensure it was in accordance with the provisions of the PIA 2021.
Eyengho said the NUPRC, in its letter signed by Mr. Benjamin Ogunubi, on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, had directed that membership of the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) be amicably thrown up by the host communities, advising all parties to mutually work out a formula to select the nine members in each HCDT.
Part of NUPRC letter reads: “The settler and the host communities, should re-examine the name (s) and unanimously resolve on the name (s) for the HCDT. That Chevron Nigeria Limited, transmit to the commission, a report on the implementation of the rulings within two weeks. The report should be fully signed and certified by representatives of both parties (CNL and the host communities).”
Among prominent Ugborodo indigenes that spoke during the congress were Itsekiri opinion leader, Chief Ayirimi Emami, former executive director of projects in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli, Prince Perry Atete and the woman leader of Ugborodo, Mrs. Oritsematosan Nuko.
They reassured Ugborodo indigenes worldwide that Ikpere host community development trust will become a reality soon.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Eyengho said the emergency congress was convened solely for the purpose of proper implementation and operationalisation of the PIA, as it concerns Ugborodo community and other neighbouring communities, which had been raising dust in the area.
Giving a chronological details of what had transpired before now, Eyengho said: “Recall that we had issues with the settlors – that’s the oil companies, particularly Chevron and Shell, where we shut down the Otumara flow station for almost a month, which now led to the regulator, that’s NUPRC summoning a meeting of the protesters, then it was Ugborodo, Deghele and Ugboegungun communities, and then they also summoned Chevron and Shell.”
He said since August, when NUPRC mediated and came out with a resolution, giving Chevron and Shell two weeks to do ABCD, they had failed to follow the resolution, saying that the host communities had been patient, but their patience was taken for granted, hence, the Chevron facility was shut down.
“We were very patient, since August, this is December. That shows how patient the communities are. We were trying to engage Chevron and Shell; they were not listening, they were still going ahead with the illegal host communities trust they had constituted, so we have to shut down Chevron because that seems to be the only language the oil companies understand – protest, shut down and all of that. We’re not happy to be shutting down, but because Chevron and Shell just want to proceed on illegality, somebody somewhere, or host community somewhere have to say no, and that’s what we have done”.
He said the issue of what constituted a host community was resolved by NUPRC Chief Executive Officer himself, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, in one of the meetings he summoned in Abuja, maintained that palaces, traditional rulers, and ethnic groups are unknown to the PIA and regulations guiding it. Eyengho stressed that Engr. Komolafe had cleared the air that the only entity known to the PIA, as far as its implementation and operationalisation are concerned, are the host communities.
“He was very specific and this is very important for emphasis. He made it clear because the palace of Olu of Warri sent two representatives; they were not even allowed to talk because Engr. Komolafe made it clear that palaces, traditional rulers, and ethnic groups are unknown to the PIA and regulations guiding it. He was very clear that these are unknown entities.
“The only entity known to the PIA, as far as its implementation and operationalisation are concerned are the host communities, and he defined host communities in tandem with the law that to be so called host communities, you’re not host to a palace, not host to an ethnic group, but host to an oil facility in your land. That’s it, and that put an end to all this talk of PIA meetings holding in palaces, traditional rulers presiding over it, and compiling names and sending it to palaces and all of that are unknown to the law.
“That has been made clear, and Chevron, which is applicable to Shell, have been directed, again, to, within two weeks, meet with Ugborodo people and first constitute the nine members board of trustees, and then agree with the community on a name the host community should be called, and we said, ab initio, that what we want as Ugborodo people is Ikpere Host Community Development Trust (Ikpere-HCDT), and there we stand; and the regulator has agreed with us, so Chevron, now they have called us, we hope they will obey the directives because the clock is already tickling”.