Proposed BCP, FSO: Belemaoil Assures Adherence To Guidelines 

Ahead the schedule for the proposed Belemaoil Crude Pipeline (BCP) and installation of Floating Storage and Off-loading (FSO) Vessel Offshore project in Kula community, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Belemaoil Producing Limited, has assured absolute compliance to established rules and regulations.

Vice President of the company, Collins Amadi, gave the assurance at the Panel Review Meeting of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed project by the Belema Sweet Export Terminal Limited, held at Hotel Presidential, PortHarcourt, at the Weekend.

Speaking to Newsmen, Amadi said that the project is undergoing it’s process, inclusive of the EIA, maintaining that upon the process completion, the company would ensure a total adherence to guidelines and involvement of all concerned parties.

Amadi said “It’s a process. Developing a terminal is not something you get in a swift. You can not just go in without meeting up with all the required regulatory measures. And the EIA is part of the process. The project has not started. Once it starts, we will abide with all the rules and regulations governing it”.

Amadi who noted that the company had been in the oil and gas business for a while stated that it has always upheld the interest of it’s host communities saying “from all our value chain, we take them along. We ensure that every community that is impacted is here . We engage them and they know when we say we’ll do this, we do them”.

According to him, the EIA panel review meeting had both the federal and state ministries of environment who act as advocates and defendants of the project’s host communities “ensuring that as the government , whatever we do will not affect the people negatively”.

Also speaking, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO),  Ajivin Group of Companies, who is also the Technical Consultant to Belema Sweet Export Terminal Limited, Dr. Vincent Ajilo, insisted that the project, once in operation, would help to meet the needs of the people.

“It’s lovely because it accommodates the needs of the environment. With this project, there will be economic development in Kula kingdom.

Describing Kula as one of the communities that houses a lot of assets, Ajilo regretted that the area is still impoverished stating “so with this project, there will be facilities, funds and opportunities for the community”.

Earlier in his Opening Remarks, the Minister of Environment, Balaraba Abbas Lawal, said the Belema Crude Pipeline project is one that the government had hope on to help leverage on employment and capacity development.

Represented by Shittu Hussain, Lawal said “the Belema project is a project that we are hoping would help to accomplish the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the President. The company has made effort to ensure that they are consistent with the law. The project will help to eliminate unemployment and boost capacity development as people engaged in it will at the end,  benefit “.

On her part,  the representative of the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, Dr (Mrs) Ibi-faa Kio, stressed the need for a proper impact mitigation on the host communities and its environs upon commencement of the project.

“Please, consider what is meant to be done for the community especially the women and even men who rely on the sea for their livelihood to mitigate their impact”, she said.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu