Oil Host communities request takeover of oil field by NNPC, petition Buhari

Communities of the Oil Mining Lease OML11, in Rivers State have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to take over operatorship of the oil field.

Shell

The is just as the National Coordinator of Conscience of Ogoni People, COOP, Chief Gani Topba, noted that the call was for the people to have a fair share of their wealth to better their lives.

The OML11 covers communities in Bonny, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Etche, Omuma, Eleme, Gokana, Khana, and Tai local government areas of Rivers State and Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West LGAs of Abia State also enjoined Buhari not to renew the operatorship of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, on the field.

The Chairman of OML 11 Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Obioma Nworgu, who announced this while speaking at a meeting of representatives of the host communities at Owaza in Ukwa-West local government area of Abia State, called on the President Buhari to order for robust negotiation with the host communities.

Nworgu, the traditional ruler of Etiti-Oha Owaza community, said: “We the OML 11 host communities urge President Muhamnadu Buhari to direct the NNPC to take over the facility to allow for a robust engagement with the host communities.

“That is the mandate of the people because President Muhammadu Buhari, who loves his people by his own good administration, has vowed to carry people along.

“We are saying that for the good works of President Buhari, looking at Ogoni cleanup, and the Vice President visited Abia State and promised that Federal Government will clean up Asa.

“We are calling of Federal Government to call on NNPC to take over the facilities so that the host communities can renegotiate.

“We have not achieved anything since 1958, there is no electricity in Owaza, no good road in Ashland. No good road in the oil-bearing communities. No electricity in Owaza and Asa since 1958.”

(Vanguard)