The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akwa Ibom community

  • Mobil Trust donates three ambulances to Akwa Ibom community

    Mobil Trust donates three ambulances to Akwa Ibom community

    The NNPC/MPN JV EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust has donated three ambulance vehicles to communities in Eastern Obolo local government area of Akwa Ibom State.

    The Trust, during a ceremony at the Obolo Hall at Okoroete also flagged-off installation of 600 solar powered street lights, as well as skills acquisition training in the Oil and Gas sector to youths of the area.

    The BoT members representing Eastern Obolo at the EMOIMEE HCDT,  Aboh Uduyok and Mrs Lily Evans John described the event as historic. 

    Uduyork and Mrs John noted that the donation of three ambulances, 600 street lights and training of 50 youths in the Oil and Gas sector.

    They described the event as significant because apart from being their first public event, since the inauguration of the EMOIMEE HCDT in July 2023, the gesture would improve the chances of youth employment in the maritime industry.

    They maintained that the Trust, having been incorporated by ExxonMobil, prior to the promulgation of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, in 2021, has the task of providing “direct economic benefits from petroleum operations, thereby fostering sustainable prosperity within the host communities.”

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    A Management Committee Member, Nango D. Nango, and the Advisory Committee Member, Mr Stephen Enoch  Tiligbor in their address said their collaborative spirit have made their efforts seamless. 

    The address reads in parts, “The Trust has awarded scholarships worth N400,000 each to 237 sons and daughters of the area studying in various tertiary institutions, and N150,000 worth of scholarship each to 143 secondary school students of the area.

    “In no distant time, the community will take delivery of a speedboat to ease the movement of people in an out of the riverine communities of the area.

    “The projects you have seen and will see in the future are not entirely our selection, but the result of what you proposed in your 5-Year Development Plan that was facilitated by the Settlor, ExxonMobil prior to the incorporation of the Trust.”

    Uduyok and John listed the skills areas to include: Pipe Fittings, Rigging, Quality Assurance, Electrical Installation & Maintenance, Scaffolding, Welding & Fabrication and Sandblasting. 

    Alternate Chairman of the Board, Engr. Clinton Akpan (BoT Member, Onna), while speaking on behalf of the Chairman, Sen. Helen Esuene, said the Eastern Obolo team have shown capacity in packaging the development issues for which they were gathered. 

    He emphasised the need for proper maintenance of facilities, adding that scholarships and skills acquisition programmes are essential to ensure provision of sufficient manpower for the growth and development of communities. 

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    Highpoints of the event was the presentation of the ambulance keys to heads of Amadaka Health Centre, Okorote Health Centre and Iko Health Centre.

    Similarly, the 600 solar powered street light project is sitted in Kanpa, Elile, Amadaka, Okoriti, Iko, Atabrikang, Edonwik, Iwofe and Isi-Otoyo villages.

    The event was attended by EMOIMEE committees, the political class from Eastern Obolo members of the traditional institution, anong others.

  • Oil spill: Akwa Ibom community gives IOCs one week to clean up 

    Oil spill: Akwa Ibom community gives IOCs one week to clean up 

    Youths of Ibeno Local Government of Akwa Ibom State have given International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the area seven days to clean up their environment.

    They issued the ultimatum at the weekend after patches suspected to be oil spill substances were found along the community’s coastline.

    The youth threatened to stop the operations of the IOCs, particularly those of ExxonMobil, if a proper clean-up is not carried out.

    Upon the discovery of the patches, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) summoned ExxonMobil, Savannah Energy, Monipulo, Addax and Frontier Oil on an inspection of the affected areas.

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    The Chairman, Ibeno Labour Committee, Chief Friday Ebong, said suspected oil spill substances had impacted negatively on the aquatic life of communities in the area.

    “Our primary occupation is fishing. We can’t continue to have our waters polluted by the oil companies because it kills fishes on our waters.

    “We have recorded low catches due to incessant oil spills. The most annoying part is that ExxonMobil that operates directly in our land and on waters has refused to take responsibility for the spill.

    “When we observed the strange substances on our shores, we quickly notified ExxonMobil, but in their usual character they didn’t respond to it. That prompted us to invite NOSDRA to come and see things for themselves.

    “We are a peaceful people, but if the clean-up is not done within one week, we will mobilise and stop ExxonMobil and other IOCs from operating on our waters.”

    A representative of NOSDRA, Mr. Akan Odungide, said the patches found on Ibeno coastline, running into about eight kilometres, would be subjected to laboratory test to ascertain if they were oil spill substances. He urged IOCs to team up and clean up Ibeno coastline to avert unrest from youths.