Akwa Ibom State Government has issued Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) Limited a seven-day ultimatum to submit all documents relating to its land acquisitions and right-of-way approvals.
SEEPCO is a subsidiary of Sterling Oil Resources Limited, which is involved in developing and producing crude oil in the OML 143 block.
The company has one of its operational bases in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Akwa Ibom State Government said the ultimatum was contained in a letter dated 4 April and signed by Uko Udom, the attorney general and commissioner for justice.
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Mr Udom, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed displeasure over the company’s “illegal operations and disregard for regulatory provisions and directed the oil company to revert to the land lawfully allotted to them.
The state government is accusing the oil company of violating the terms of land grants and unlawful encroachment beyond its legally assigned portion in Eastern Obolo and surrounding communities.
The state government reiterated its pro-business stance but warned that its corporate interest must not override the rights, welfare, and ecological integrity of communities in the state.
Mr Udom reaffirmed the state government’s “commitment to protecting citizens and host communities affected by the company’s activities and upholding the legal frameworks guiding the Oil and Gas Free Zone under which Sterling operates.”
Sterling Oil, Eastern Obolo land dispute
Sterling Oil has been engaged in a prolonged land dispute with its host communities, prompting the Akwa Ibom State Government’s intervention.
Ekerete Udoh, the spokesperson to Governor Umo Eno on 12 February, said in a statement posted on Facebook that the governor had sued for peace between the company and its host communities, assuring that his administration will ensure an amicable resolution to the lingering crisis.
According to Mr Udoh, the governor gave the assurance after touring the company’s facility in Eastern Obolo. He promised to set up a committee to address issues including Environmental Impact Assessment and the relocation of the people of Obianga and Ikonta, and ascertain the actual hectare of land occupied by the company.
“Our coming here today should be a relief, give you succour, and give you hope that the (Akwa Ibom) State Government has come. We have seen, and we will go back and work for you. We have looked at the location issues and the closure of the creeks, particularly as it affects Obianga and Ikonta,” the governor said, urging the people to remain peaceful.
As a follow-up to the visit, the governor, on 26 February, inaugurated a tripartite committee – the state government, Sterling Oil, and Eastern Obolo communities – to facilitate the amicable settlement of the disputes.
In a Facebook post, the governor’s spokesperson, Mr Udoh, said the governor charged the committee to establish the actual land size occupied by Sterling Petrochemical and Fertiliser Limited, work with the company to get a place for the displaced communities (Ikonta and Obianga), and also work with the community to ensure smooth and peaceful relocation.
A few days ago, some officials representing the state government in the committee clashed with the company’s representatives during a visit to its operational base in Eastern Obolo.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the visit followed a tip-off by members of the host communities, who said that the oil company has continued to encroach on their lands and block several routes to creeks.
“The governor said don’t close everywhere. Open one channel for them, and before we know it, you’ve closed everywhere,” a member of the committee, Udo Kieran, Governor Eno’s aide on labour relations, said in a video posted on Facebook.
“Don’t insult the man (referring to the governor) like that, for God’s sake. You can’t do this to a president in your country,” Mr Kieran, a former state lawmaker, said, venting his anger at company’s officials for flouting the governor’s directives.
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“You are asking for cooperation. Okay, tell us how to cooperate again when you’ve finished everything. You have to suspend the work from now,” Mr Kieran, a former chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, said.
PREMIUM TIMES could not reach Sterling Oil for its comment.
Our reporter called a phone number on the company’s website, identified as Thomas Emma, by the True Caller app, but the person who picked up the call ended it immediately after our reporter introduced himself.
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