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A’Ibom community rejects N2.5bn oil spill compensation

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Niger-Delta

Niger-DeltaEket Federal Constituency, comprising Eket, Ibeno, Esit Eket, and Onna local government areas, Akwa Ibom State, has rejected the N2.5bn oil spill compensation from Mobil Nigeria Unlimited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil.

The said sum was paid as compensation for over 200,000 barrels of crude oil which spilled into the coastal communities of the affected local government areas, for about four months in 2012.

In a communiqué issued at the end of Eket Federal Constituency Vanguard in Eket on Wednesday and signed by Onna LGA representative, Mr. Bassey David; and Eket LGA representative, Mr. Ayubong Enoidem; the residents said the community had demanded N26.5bn for the November 9, 2012 oil spill.

The communiqués read, “The Community Vanguard condemns in strong terms the several lies, insults, and total disregard by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited of the agreements reached at the intervention meetings held by Governor Godswill Akpabio on November 23, 2012 and July 26, 2013 on the oil spill saga.

 

“That the Community Vanguard demands that henceforth, oil spill compensation will be paid in dollars, and that communities should be allowed to select their projects and consultants.

“That compensation should be made to reach the communities and individuals to make up for their losses.

“That 100 employment slots be made available for graduates and another 100 slots for artisans to make up for the neglect of the community since 1998.

“That Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited should comply with the above demands within seven days and that failure to do so, shall result in an indefinite protest.”

The communities also accused the state government of planning to use the oil spill money to construct the Eket-Ibeno Road, vowing to resist such move by the government.

A Houston-based insurance company is said to have evaluated the actual spill sum to be N49.6bn.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Monitoring, Mr. Emmanuel Mbong, denied that the state government planned to use the oil spill money meant for the four communities to build roads or other infrastructure in the areas.

He claimed it was the governor that increased the demand for the oil spill compensation to N26.5bn.

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