The people of Ekpeye ethnic nationality have urged the federal government to ensure the total implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act(PIA).
Ekpeye Oil and Gas Pipeline Host Families Association (EOG) made the appeal on Saturday, April 27,2024 at Ahoada.
According to a civil society activist, Shiek Abdulrazak . P. Echeya the PIA, sections 101,102, 103,104 that clearly talk about environmental pollution and its penalty for flaring gas have not been fully implemented by the federal government, noting that refinaries and other oil companies are still flaring gas at their various floating stations.
Expressing his dismay, he said the federal government continued silence over the non- implementation of the PIA is questionable. He charged the federal government to tell Nigerians how many Oil companies have paid the penalties for flaring gas from the year 2020 till date .
He noted that any law made without the mechanism of implementation is a dead law .
He further alleged that there is a lot of fraud and deceit in the oil sector, saying while the federal government is busy accusing the youths of stealing crude oil from the Pipelines, some of the NNPC staff are busier stealing the crude oil money with their pen, and appealed to the federal government to pay attention to the injustice done to people of Ekpeye and Niger Delta at large.
He enjoined the Federal government of Nigeria to also pay attention to other sectors like the agriculture, solid minerals.
On the issue of peaceful co-existence he said using the knowledge based approach to fight for their rights so far has resulted in relative peace in Ekpeye land, noting that it will enable them to have a strong bargaining power because government will use hostility as an excuse to deny communities of their rights.
Prof. Steve Wordu on his part, said Ekpeye ethnic nationality is sitting on wealth but anguishing in poverty. He urged all sons and daughters of Ekpeye land to wake up from their slumber, organize themselves in order to demand for equity through a non-violence approach.
He expressed surprise at how someone from elsewhere will be controlling pipeline surveillance in Ekpeye land, saying the host communities should be saddled with the responsibility of securing the Pipelines in their domain because they know the nooks and crannies of their environment . It will also create employment for the youths, he noted.
His words: the surveillance of the Pipelines should be carried out by the indigenous people of any given community. Let the community set up the modalities on how the surveillance will take place. You cannot stay elsewhere and take charge of Pipeline in another person’s backyard, that is gross injustice.
The National Chairman of Ekpeye Oil And Gas Pipelines Host Families Association ( EOG), Comrade Dogini Chidi reassured the people of Ekpeye that (EOG) will do everything possible in making sure that they bring in the needed development into Ekpeye land, saying the struggle by (EOG) has started yielding fruits.
He stressed the need for all to work in synergy with EOG in making sure that they address the issue of unemployment, and negligence by the multinationals. He expressed hope that Ekpeye must benefit from the International oil companies and the federal government.
Comrade Chidi appealed to the BOT, Management Committee, Advisory committee complementing the Petroleum Industry Act to make it as a point of duty to liaise with the Kings, CDC Chairmen in making sure that projects that only people-oriented projects are provided to Ekpeye people
