Host communities threaten to shut down OML 25 in Rivers State
•Renaissance Energy accused of marginalisation From Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt Host communities, including Agudakiri (Agudama) and Oluama, have threatened to shut down OML 25, accusing Renaissance Africa Energy Nigeria Limited
•Renaissance Energy accused of marginalisation
From Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt
Host communities, including Agudakiri (Agudama) and Oluama, have threatened to shut down OML 25, accusing Renaissance Africa Energy Nigeria Limited of excluding them from benefits derived from oil facilities in their domains.
The communities said they suffered over 45 years of marginalisation, first under the defunct Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and now under Renaissance Africa Energy Nigeria Limited.
Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, HRH King Emmanuel Alalibo Gould-Ekeke II, Amanyanabo of the Ibiame/Agudame Group of Communities in Kula Kingdom, said his people remained the rightful owners of Oil Block 2, one of the three blocks that made up Kula Kingdom.
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He says the area hosts many oil facilities, including Belema Flow Station, a claim he describes as historically established and indisputable.
The monarch alleged that SPDC and Renaissance deliberately excluded his community from benefiting from operations within their domain, previously citing lack of awareness.
He noted that the community had acquired the knowledge and capacity to challenge what he described as a long-standing injustice.
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He said the communities demanded that Renaissance conduct a thorough investigation to verify their claims and include them in the Akuku-Toru Host Community Development Board and Trust (AHCDBT).
The monarch maintained that they met the requirements of Clause 234 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
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He said failure to address their grievances could result in shutdown of oil operations, adding that there was already a looming second closure of the OLUA OML 25 facility once operations resumed, citing the company’s alleged inability to properly identify its asset repository as a key factor behind their exclusion.
Ibiame/Agudame Community also listed key facilities located within their territory designated as Block 2, including Belema ECKV-1, OLUA Field, EFRX-1, DGKW-1, wells 1T, 3L/S, 5L/S, 6L/S, 7L/S, 8T and 11L/S, the Belema Flow Station, as well as crude oil and gas pipelines running from the platform through Agudakiri to Kilamasiri community.
They called on Renaissance to recognise their rights and contributions, warning that continued neglect could lead to severe consequences, including a complete halt in the flow of crude oil and gas through assets passing through their community.
Such action, they noted, would impact production and barging operations.
The communities revealed that they had previously written many letters to the defunct SPDC and Renaissance dated March 8, 2012; January 17, 2013; November 10, 2017; October 2, 2018; and October 24, 2018, but received no response.
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They called on the company to convene an urgent stakeholders’ meeting to address their concerns and ensure their inclusion in the benefits derived from oil operations in their host communities.
Though the spokesperson for Renaissance, Michael Adande, could not be reached, a high-placed source from the company, who spoke in confidence, confirmed that the firm was aware of the matter.
He said contrary to claims that the company had not responded to letters from the community, Renaissance in one of its responses explained that the affected areas did not meet the requirements prescribed by the PIA for qualification as host communities.
He said the Federal Government based on the provisions of the Act listed names of host communities to be recognised by oil firms, adding that Renaissance had done nothing wrong.
