…Commission Development Projects in Kula Kingdom
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timpreye Sylva has visited the Kula Kingdom of Asari-Toru Local Government of Rivers State, in furtherance to the peace deal on the disputed Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25 in Kula between NNPC’s Joint Venture partner, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Belema Oil.
An initial meeting was held by the parties in Abuja a fortnight ago. He told the oil communities that the Federal Government would leave no stone unturned in the efforts to bring about lasting peace and security in the nation’s oil-producing host communities and the entire Niger Delta region.
Sylva who went in the company of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari last Saturday, stated assured indigenes and traditional rulers in the communities that the Federal Government was keen on attracting investments to the area and create jobs for the teeming youths.
He told members of the host communities that for investments to thrive in the area, there was a need for the people to live in peace and harmony with oil companies as well as cooperate with one another.
“We need unity in our land today. We have fought to this point and the Federal Government has started looking our way. It is time for us to change strategy and ensure that we bring the benefits of investments to our various communities. If we don’t make our communities peaceful, investments cannot come. The investors are ready to come here, unfortunately, in some cases, there is no peace,” Sylva noted.
He observed that it was the responsibility of the locals to work with the Federal Government to bring peace to the communities so that investors can come and create jobs for the youths in the area.
Speaking during the visit, the NNPC GMD, Mallam Mele Kyari, said the NNPC had the mandate of Mr President to work with various stakeholders towards bringing lasting peace to the oil-producing host communities and by extension the entire Niger Delta region.
“Our immediate priority is the restoration of peace to the host communities and not just to restore production. This is because once peace comes, oil production (which is about 35,000 barrels per day here) will ultimately return,” Kyari stated.
The GMD said following two years of dispute around OML 25 which led to the shutdown of the Belema Flow Station and loss of about 35,000 barrels of oil per day, NNPC had no option but to engage the communities towards ensuring lasting peace and restoring production.
“What we have done today is to ensure that normal life returns to this community so that after two years of dispute, we would have found a lasting solution which would enable people to go back to their work, jobs will be created and the social services that ought to come with these activities will be restored,” Kyari added.
Kyari said the next stage now was that a re-entry process would commence and that an evaluation of the extent of the damage done on the facility would be carried out and within the shortest possible time, the JV partner (SPDC) would come up with a plan for restoring production in the oil mining lease.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in the Kula Kingdom, HRH, King Kroma Amabibi Eleki, expressed delight with the peace deal and their readiness to work with the government towards bringing developmental projects to the people.
Also in his remarks, President General of Kula Youth, Mr. Ekine Japus lauded the Federal Government’s peace overtures through the Minister and the NNPC, saying that it had given hope to the youth in the community.
Other highlights of the occasion included the commissioning of NNPC/Belema JV Portable Water Project as well as the groundbreaking of President Muhammadu Buhari 85km Kula-Degema-Port Harcourt Expressway.
Chibisi Ohakah
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