Oil Spill Compensation: Mobil Dangles N2bn Projects

Rivers State Commissioner of Works, Hon Dakuku Peterside (left) chatting with his counterpart, Mrs Manuela George-Izunwa of Women Affairs, during Bakana Community Development Association (BCDA) organised reception for five eminent indigenes of Bakana, at Bakana Civic Centre, last Saturday. Photo: Egberi Sampson

Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) has pledged to fund community development projects worth N2 billion in its host communities in Akwa Ibom to sooth frayed nerves over oil spills in the area.

Chief Udo Asubob, Chairman, Esit Eket Development Association, said in Eket, Akwa Ibom, that the oil firm had offered to fund projects in four local government areas impacted by the spills.

Asubob told newsmen that the local government areas were Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna.

Our correspondent reports that between December 2009 and June 21, four major oil spills were recorded from the Qua Iboe Oil Fields operated by Mobil.

It will be recalled that the spill on May 1, sparked off protests from affected communities and it took the intervention of Gov. Godswill Akpabio to resolve the face-off.

Asubob said that the state government had convened a meeting between Mobil and the communities to discuss how the money should be spent.

He said that the stakeholders resolved at the meeting that each of the four local governments should raise a committee to discuss projects to be funded by the company.

He also said that the oil company planned to spend N566 million in Ibeno, N520 million in Eket, N480 million in Esit Eket and N400 million in Onna.

Our correspondent, however, learnt that Ibeno community boycotted the meeting and insisted on payment of cash compensation rather than the proposed projects.

Chief Herkings Inyang, Secretary of Ibeno Clan Council, said that it was unfortunate that rather than resolve the main cause of the frequent oil spills, the company chose to deliberate on community projects.

“We have resolved to have nothing to do with any of such meetings calculated to waste valuable time.

“Our position remains that compensation for damages and losses incurred by fishermen and the community is not negotiable.

“Our fishermen must be given cash compensation to enable them get back to sea and projects cannot be exchanged for compensation,’’ he said.

Does it mean that without oil spills they will not do community projects, as part of their corporate social responsibility?’’ Inyang asked.

Meanwhile, report  in the three communities participating in the oil spill talks showed that they were already deliberating on how to deploy the funds to allocated by Mobil.