The power of Attorney in respect of royalties, benefits and freedom to operate oil benefits by Belema Community in Akuku Toru Local Government Area has been declared as its exclusive rights.
Amanyanabo of Belema Community, His Highness, Dr. Ayanate Kio, Ala Igbaniye OkoTubo 1, and chiefs of the oil bearing community have, therefore, urged oil firms, companies and government agencies to deal directly with it and not with any representative who claim rights of attorney over the area.
To this end, the community urged oil firms: Belemaoil Producing Limited, Donna Spectre Limited, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, and Newcross Exploration and Production Limited to jettison any agreement it entered on behalf of it.
The Amanyanabo and the chiefs of Belema Community further declared as null and avoid a purported Power of Attorney allegedly executed on 16th June 2026 with HRH Kroma Amabibi Eleki Sara XIV and Chief Wapakabuari Alaye Egbelekuro as donors in favour of Ekulama Flame Nigeria Limited.
While addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt over attempts by some persons claiming power of attorney, HRH, Dr. Kio said the community is autonomous and has been recognised since 1993 to have powers to manage its affairs.
The royal father stated that purported power of attorney allegedly executed on 16th June by HRH Kroma Amabibi Eleki Sara XIv and Chief Wapakabuari Egbelekuro in favour of Ekulama Flame Nigeria Limited is not binding on Belema Community and its satellite settlements.
As far as they were concerned, it’s only the king, chiefs and those appointed by the community that can enter agreements with oil firms, contractors and government, hence any other parties are not endorsed by them.
He said, “…this serves as a formal notice and demand that Ekulama Flame Nigeria Limited or any other bodies or companies immediately exclude Belema Community from the scope and operation of the purpoted power of attorney and desist from representing it to any person or authority.”
The royal father recalled that Belema Community duly installed her monarch since December 2025, which has not been under contest and wondered why persons not authorized should exercise such legal rights on the area.
“We, therefore, place all concerned companies and stakeholders, including Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Newscross Exploration and Production Limited, Belemaoil Producing ma Community must be conducted only with the lawful leadership”, he declared.

Limited, Donna Spectre government agencies and contractors on notice that any dealings affecting Belema Community must be conducted only with the lawful leadership”, he declared.
The Amanyanabo of Belema further noted that any clause in the purpoted power of attorney to authorize Ekulama Flame Nigeria Limited or any body in the future to negotiate on behalf of the community for benefits and proceeds is null and void.
Another royal father, who condemned the action of the proxies, His Highness Wriboko Olali Mboko, said Belema Community remains united with its Amanyanabo to ensure that her rights and privileges are accorded her.
On his part, a member of the Belema Council of Cheifs, Chief Dasiesima Mure, said the autonomy of the community remains sacrosanct when it comes to its resources and rights, stressing that enemies of the community will fail in their attempt to cause disaffection.

The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has denied influencing the selection of 40 Ogoni beneficiaries of employment opportunities at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), saying it had no role in the recruitment process.
The committee, which is engaging the Federal Government on the possible resumption of oil and gas operations in Ogoniland, also denied allegations that it awarded contracts or received funds from the Federal Government.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt, the ODC Chairman, Prof. Don Baridam, described the statements attributed to KAGOTE and other groups as false and misleading.
He said the employment opportunities were among the confidence-building measures proposed by the Ogoni delegation to the Federal Government but stressed that the ODC neither selected nor recruited the beneficiaries.
According to him, NNPCL drew the successful candidates from a pool of qualified Ogoni applicants already in its recruitment database, rather than from nominations made by the committee.
“When the issue of employment was raised, NNPCL made it clear that it would not compromise its established professional and recruitment standards.
“The company informed us that it already had in its recruitment database several qualified Ogoni sons and daughters who had previously applied, undergone its recruitment processes and performed well”, he said.
He acknowledged that some ODC members submitted names of persons they wanted considered, but they said those nominations did not determine the outcome.
“The recruitment and selection process did not pass through the ODC, nor did the ODC determine who was employed.
“The suggestions that the committee or its facilitators distributed the jobs as patronage were false”, Baridam stated.
The ODC also dismissed claims that it was involved in the award or allocation of government and NNPCL contracts.
Baridam explained that contract awards were outside the committee’s mandate and that it lacked the authority or machinery to influence such decisions.
“At no time did the ODC award, allocate, distribute or otherwise become involved in contracts”, he said.
On reports of renewed oil activities in Ogoniland, the committee said it had no information indicating that oil and gas production had resumed under the Ogoni re-entry programme, adding that NNPCL had said it was unaware of the alleged oil-rig operations, although investigations into the reported activities in Alesa-Eleme were ongoing.
The committee also denied receiving any budget, grant or other funds from the Federal Government, describing its participation in the dialogue process as a sacrifice and service to the Ogoni people.
On the proposed creation of Bori State, Baridam said state creation remained a key demand presented to the Federal Government.
He said the committee had established a tactical sub-committee to work on the modalities, while acknowledging that the process must follow constitutional procedures.
Baridam said the dialogue process had advanced to efforts to harmonise outstanding issues arising from the ODC report, the Federal Government’s response and the report of a technical committee.
He noted that a Joint Harmonization Committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Government and Ogoni, was being considered to develop an interim memorandum of understanding on areas of agreement.
The ODC appealed to KAGOTE and other Ogoni stakeholders to use available channels for constructive engagement, saying it remained open to contributions that could strengthen the dialogue process and advance peace, environmental restoration and development in Ogoniland.

By: Kiadum Edookor

Some Oil and Gas industry stakeholders have said that aggressive gas pipeline protections and policy consistency remain the antidote to making Nigeria a leading country in the hydrocarbon industry in Africa.
They also called for reforms to increase more private sector investment in the industry, and value addition with the view to enhancing sustainable growth in the sector and the nation at large.
This was part of discussions at the just-concluded 7th International Mid/Downstream Oil and Gas Conference held recently in Port Harcourt.
Organised by the Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Engineering (CGRP), University of Port, in partnership with the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, the conference was themed, “Repositioning Nigeria’s Petrochemical Sector for industrial Growth, Innovations and Sustainable Development.”
Some of the lead speakers at the conference, including the Chairman, Governing Board, Centre for Gas Refinnig and Petrochemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Engr. Anthony Uchechukwu Ogbuigwe; the Managing Director, Indorama, Eleme, Petrochemical limited, Mr. Manish Mundra, and others emphasized on the need for Nigeria to invest in human capacity development to enhance economic growth.

emphasized on the need for Nigeria to invest in human capacity development to enhance economic growth.
They also stressed the need for the nation to utilize its vast hydrocarbon resources to foster industrial Growth.
In his keynote address, Mundra said Nigeria, which has the largest gas reserve in Africa, is yet to make maximum use of it for the good of its people.
According to him, time has come for Nigeria’s hydrocarbon to power its industrialization and not just export.

He said the conference would generate ideas that could engender positive changes in the sector.
Represented by the Head, Fertilizer Manufacturing, Indorama Eleme Fertilizer Chemicals Limited, Mr. Upendra Singh, at the occasion, Mundra said positive reforms in the sector would support Nigeria’s economic growth.
“Repositioning the sector means promoting hydrocarbon numbers into diversified high value industrial products”, he said.
Mundra further said Indorama had implemented several policy reforms through innovative expansion strategies, adding that a three-billion dollar expansion programme implemented by the company had made it the largest petrochemical and fertilizer company in Africa.
“Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited’s polymer supply sustains Nigerian MSMEs in manufacturing”, he added.
Speaking on the topic, “Unlocking Nigeria’s Industrial Growth”, the Managing Director (MD) Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Mr. Adeleye Falade, said export-led growth and investment in people and cultural transformation were critical to petro-economic development of Nigeria.

petro-economic development of Nigeria.
Represented by Mr. Oluwafemi Lawal, the Manager, Future Opportunities of NLNG, Falade said value addition ecosystems and capabilities should be built around the sector for sustainable growth.
“Possession of oil and gas resources alone may largely not translate into economic development and prosperity. We must add value.
“Resources become an advantage only when capability is built around them. The real multiplier is not the gas molecule, it is the economy built around it.
“We need to think of how we can build capabilities around our resources and export them. The future we seek is not buried beneath our feet, it is what we choose to build above them”, he said.
Earlier, the Chairman, Governing Board, University of Port Harcourt, Mr. Anthony Ogbuigwe, said privatisation is the way to go, especially for the four Nigerian Refineries that are moribund, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company limited (NNPCL).
Ogbuigwe said the success story of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical limited should serve as a lesson for the Federal Government to put the Refineries for sale, while maintaining some equity shares in them.
He expressed worries that despite the large deposit of petrochemical resources in Nigeria, the sector had remained underdeveloped.
“We must move from a crude exporting economy to a value addition economy. Every barrel of crude oil refined locally should create opportunities for jobs and economic sustainability”, he emphasised.
Ogbuigwe stated that Nigeria currently had more than 300 million cubit feet of natural gas, and that there was need for synergy between energy and the manufacturing sector.

By: John Bibor