OML54: Communities drag NDPR to Rivers Assembly over MoU
Port Harcourt -- Youths of Ukpata Community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State have petitioned the Rivers State House of Assembly, RSHA, complaining over the failure of Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, NDPR, to provide benefits to the communities despite a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.
between the company and the communities.
The petitioner and Youth President of Ukpata Kingdom, Livingstone Alali, said the host communities have not benefitted from NDPR's activities as the operator of the Oil Mining Lease, OML, 54 - a marginal field.
The petition, which was presented in the House by the member representing Ahoada East State Constituency II in the RSHA, Mr. Edison Ehie, said the company has failed to provide development to its host communities.
"The petition has a lot of burning issues bothering on MoU for many years. This company (NDPR) has not been operating with an MoU, which we all know is legally an offence.
"We (the host communities) said that the company should create a trust fund where 5 percent of their annual profit goes to the host communities and 30 percent of it is reinvested, but it will surprised you to know that since the creation and existence of this company, the 5 percent has not been remitted.
"It is stated that there is supposed to be a cluster board where the government of Rivers State, the host communities and the company is represented, but unfortunately, there has been no such board. "The company has deliberately avoided all these issues. This is a company that produces almost. 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day," Ehie said.
However, the speaker of the House of Assembly, Ikuyi Owaji-Ibani, in response to the petition, set up an adhoccommittee to look into the case objectively, before the House launches a full scale investigation into he matter.
The committee is to be headed by the member representing Akuku-Toru Constituency I and Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Major Jack.
Meanwhile, women from Obelle, Ukpata and Oshoko communities in Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State have called on Governor Nyesom Wike, to wade into the issue of neglect and abandonment of OML54 host communities by NDPR.