Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, a former House of Representatives member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, has faulted governor Charles Soludo’s exclusion of representatives from the main oil producing communities in the proposed Anambra State Oil and Gas Development Committee.
Ogene described Soludo’s exclusion of representatives from Ogbaru in the proposed Anambra State Oil and Gas Development Committee as “unfair and unlawful exclusion”
According to the ex-lawmaker, the main oil producing communities in the state are Ogwuaniocha and Ogwuikpele, both are in Ogbaru Local Government Area and nobody is to represent them .
He stressed that out of the 11 Oil wells that qualified Anambra as an Oil Producing state, eight are sited in Ogwuaniocha and Ogwuikpele communities, yet nobody was considered worthy from the communities to be included in the committee.
His words: “The exclusion is unfair and unlawful and the governor must readdress it before Inauguration” he said. He stated that Charles Soludo’s proposed committee negates the objective of the Petroleum Industry Act.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo will on Tuesday, December 13, inaugurate the members of the Anambra State Oil and Gas Development Committee.
Ogene, who also is the Labour Party candidate for Ogbaru House of Representatives said on Monday that:”While that will be considered a great news for our dear State, Anambra – that is gradually taking it’s place in the comity of oil producing states in Nigeria – the obvious exclusion of the main host communities, Ogwuaniocha and Ogwuikpele, both in Ogbaru Local Government Area, remains a disrespectful anomaly that runs contrary to the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), that prioritises oil host community engagement and inclusion.
“The PIA describes host communities as communities ‘situated in or appurtenant to the area of operation of a settlor and any other community as a settlor may determine.”
“There are two Ogbaru sons in the Committee, the Commissioner for Information and one other, the non-inclusion of anyone from the twin communities of Ogwuaniocha and Ogwuikpele, is not only unjust but a development that might give oxygen to future bickering and rancour which Anambra doesn’t need at this period.
“The Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 (PIA) signed into law in August 2021 introduces significant changes to the legal and governance framework, administrative processes, regulatory and fiscal terms, and host community engagements in the oil and gas industry, in order to ensure transparency and enabling environment for oil producing operations”.
Ogene therefore called on Governor Soludo to urgently look into the anomalous exclusion, with a view to ensuring that both Ogwuaniocha and Ogwuikpele are properly represented in the Committee for the overall interest of the state and mutual goodwill.
