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The Achi Mbieri Community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State has called for accountability from its leaders over the handling of the oil revenue accruable to the community.
A group of concerned community members, under the auspices of the Achi Stakeholders Forum, made the call during a news briefing in Owerri on Sunday.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, some part of the revenue accruable to the oil-rich community had been paid by Seplat Energy, an oil exploration company in the area.
The group alleged that the money was “inequitably disbursed” by the community’s President-General, Victor Iwuagwu, to the component villages, without due supervision by the community’s executive council.
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The community’s Financial Secretary, Richard Durunna, stated that during the community meeting on Saturday, he clearly denied involvement in the disbursement in question.
Mr Durunna also said that Mr Iwuagwu had “unilaterally run the affairs of the community without input from other members of the executive, including himself.
He, however, said that, after rising from the meeting, the stakeholders and community members agreed to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to the president-general to convene an emergency meeting and explain his financial dealings to the community.
“I am completely unaware that Seplat Energy already paid us, I only got wind of it when the various villages confirmed receiving money from the president-general.
“When I asked him about the sharing formula, he said he shared it according to the instructions of his late mother in a dream.
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“I find this bizarrely disturbing and call for accountability so that records can be set straight,” he said.
Another member of the group, Charles Opara, described the discovery of oil in the community as a “supposed blessing rather than a reason for chaos”.
Mr Opara, therefore, called on Mr Iwuagwu to desist from personalising the gains from oil and give a proper account of his stewardship.
The community’s Traditional Prime Minister, Adolphus Nnadi, called on the Imo State Government to intervene and order for a forensic investigation by a panel of inquiry to set matters right.
A youth leader, Chigazu Ohamadike, called for calm and a peaceful resolution of the differences.
NAN reports that it could not get Mr Iwuagwu’s comment on the matter as he repeatedly declined several telephone calls.
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