…As Gov Wike Issues One-Week Ultimatum For Resolution of Impasse
Some chiefs, traditional rulers and members of Belema, Offoin-Ama and Ngeje Communities have explained the reasons they refused to honour a meeting with the Rivers State Government held on Saturday, June 22, 2019, over the shutdown of Belema Flow Station in Akuku Toru Local Government Area.
Addressing a news conference at the Ernest Ikoli Press Center, Moscow Road in Port Harcourt ahead of the meeting on Friday, the royal fathers whose communities host Belema Flow Station (OML – 25) operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), told journalists that their grouse stemmed from what they termed ‘lack of confidence in the Rivers State Government to handle the matter’.
In the press statement which was read on behalf of the chiefs by Alabo (Engr.) Fiala Okoye-Davies, who doubles as Secretary of Belema Council of Chiefs as well as the Kula Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, the aggrieved communities noted that previous administrations of Dr. Peter Odili and that of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had made efforts to resolve its dispute with SPDC but had failed, adding that the matter was currently being handled by the Presidency.
Moreover, the Chiefs averred that those described as ‘key players and rightful leadership’ of the communities were not invited to the proposed meeting with the government, alleging that some persons invited for the meeting were not members of the host communities of OML-25.
The chiefs further averred that one of those whom the Rivers State Government invited for the discussion, Ibinabo Kalaoriye has, according to them been allegedly restricted by a May 14, 2018 judgment of a State High Court from parading himself as Amanyanabo or Leader of Belema Community.
“The so-called intervention of the State government on OML-25 is meddlesome as the issue is on the Exclusive List and not on the Concurrent List of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). And we further view this meeting as an invitation to resurgence of violence and anarchy in Kula Kingdom which is unarguably the most peaceful environment in Rivers State”, they said, adding that the government’s intervention, in their words, ‘cast a shadow of doubt in its sincerity’ as they wondered why the Rivers State Government never intervened on the protracted Ogoni shut-down of over 26 years.
Others who spoke at the event include a chieftain of PANDEF, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, Chief Evans Dabiri, Chief (Barr) W.A. Ebejiye-Gaga, Chief Ibinabo Daniel Kiliya, HRH, King Bourdillon Allen Ekine Oko XXVIII, Amanyanabo of Opukula (Old Shipping), Chief Ted Fenibo, Comrade Jonah F. Joshua and the President of the National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe.
Meanwhile, the meeting with the leaders of Kula Kingdom with the Rivers State government went on unimpeded at the Government House with the Governor Nyesom Wike directing all parties in the OML-25 Flow Station shut down to resolve the crisis within two weeks.
He said government was not interested about who have rights to drill or not, regretting that what was supposed to add value to the people and advance their lives has turned out the opposite.
The General Manager and Country Chair of SPDC, Mr. Osagie Okungbor said the flow station was shut down two years ago over disagreements with members of the host communities on issues of social amenities.
On his part, the Acting Managing Director of Belema Oil Producing Nigeria Limited, Engr. Mufa Welsh said his company had no hands in the dispute rocking the OML-25 Flow Station.
“OML-25 is a joint venture with NNPC having 55 percent; Shell has 23 while Belema Oil has 7.7 percent. We have OML 55 that we inherited from Chevron and that OML has actually helped the communities. They had experienced so many benefits such as assisting the community in 2015 when an outbreak of cholera killed over 140 persons”, he said.
