Oil Spill: Ekid stakeholders take stand

The people of Ekid Nation under the aegis of Ekid Peoples Union had taken her position on the Oil Spill imbroglio that has engulfed the region for sometimes now and however regretted however regretted the non-implementation of the directive by the Akwa Ibom State Government and called for urgent action to correct the anomaly by setting up the State Oil Mineral Producing Communities Commission as is the case in other Niger Delta States to enable the oil bearing/producing communities to access the 13% revenue derivation meant for them.

The group in a release signed by Prof. Asindi Andrew Asindi, National President and Elder Enobong Akpan National Secretary stated further that, It decried the use of the derivation revenue as part of the normal allocation to the States noting that, that 13% derivation revenue which is a first line charge is actually meant for the development of the host communities and not for overhead cost by the government.

The Stakeholders meeting observed that governments everywhere assist their citizens to get justice in the hands of corporate institutions that always act to deny the citizens of their rights. The meeting inadvertently condemned attempts by Government to cause core oil communities of Eket, Ibeno, Esit Eket and Onna to lose their entitlements through high level manipulation of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and other players in the oil industry. Of specific mention which the meeting took exception is government interference in the payment of compensation for separate oil spills by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to the host communities in Akwa Ibom State.

The Stakeholders meeting wishes to use this medium among other media to alert the Federal Government of Nigeria, its agencies and Nigerians in general that another oil spill has occurred since June 26, 2012oil spills have not been paid up till now even as the relevant authorities are obviously not interested in the fate of the negatively impacted host communities except in the money that accrue to them as oil and gas revenue amongst others. (Read full position on page 7)