From Joseph Obukata (The New Diplomat’s N/Delta Correspondent)
The Ijaw and Itsekiri people of Gbaramatu and Ugborodo in Warri Southwest, Delta State, on Sunday, vowed that the Federal Government $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project would not succeed without the commencement of work on the abandoned $16 billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in the state.
At a joint press conference held in Warri, leaders of the two ethnic nationalities said they would never allow any gas to be piped from their domain to the Northern part of the country to run the AKK project except the federal government orders immediate resumption of work on the multibillion dollar EPZ project.
The ground-breaking of the EPZ project was performed by former President Goodluck Jonathan after several postponements at the last lap of Jonathan’s administration in March 2015, but the project was abandoned by the Buhari’s administration on assumption of office.
Reports had it that the last development that was heard on the project was in February 2018 when the federal government sent a delegation of its steering committee on the project headed by Sheikh Mohamed Bayorh on fact-finding mission to Delta state. The committee met with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa then.
The Export Processing Zone is reputed to be the largest gas project in sub-Saharan Africa.
Contentiously, the EPZ project is said to have two components; the Industrial Gas Park at Ogidigben and the Deep Sea Port in Gbaramatu axis.
It was learned that the renewed protest over the discontinuation of the project, among others which have triggered fresh agitations in the creeks communities of the Niger Delta, was stemmed from President Muhammadu Buhari’s recently flagged off AKK gas project which is being planned to transport gas from the Niger Delta to the North.
Addressing the joint press conference, first of its kind in many years after the fraternal war between Ijaw and Itsekiri, Chief Godspower Gbenekama (JP) who spoke on behalf of Gbaramatu Traditional Council of Chiefs and Chief Mike Odeli who spoke on behalf of Itsekiri Oil and Gas Communities, wondered why the Federal Government would abandoned the multi-billion naira Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project and start off an AKK project that intend to pipe gas from the Niger Delta region.
“It will interest you to note that the just concluded ground breaking of the 614km long Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) natural gas pipeline meant to convey gas to the Northern part of the country, Morocco, the United Kingdom, etc a 40-inches diameter pipeline expected to transport 3,500 million metric standard cubic feet (MMSCF/D) per day of dehydrated wet gas, which is the same amount of wet gas intended for the GRIP, in Warri South-West LGA but stalled for the former.
“This is what we termed sheer insensitivity by a government that displays ill-attitude towards developing other regions, especially the ones that lay the golden eggs like ours. It beats our imagination as to how a government that claimed to practice and encourage local production suddenly deviate from its agenda rather than encourage local industrialization through project such as the GRIP, instead opted to sustain the continued exportation of our natural gas without adding value to them.
“On this, while we are in total support of the AAK, we say the GRIP-EPZ must be continued or we will be constrained disrupt any attempt to continue with the AKK”, they vowed.
They said that they decided to tarry a bit following moves by the Delta Governor, Okowa through his deputy, Kingsley Otuaro to broker truce but the federal government has remained insensitive and adamant to their demands including creating opportunity for indigenes of the host communities to partake in the recently announced 57 Marginal Fields, offered by the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.
“The Itsekiri oil/gas producing communities and Gbaramatu Ijaws, have been grossly marginalized in bid offers, since the discovery of Crude Oil in our Homelands for over 60 years running. This is despite the mammoth environment hazards, poor sanitary conditions, lack of health care facilities and zero Federal Presence in Gbaramatu and Itsekiri Oil/Gas Producing Communities in Delta state.
“We must at this juncture, reiterate our total rejection of the recently announced 57 Marginal Fields, offered by the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.
“We can no longer continue to sit down and watch outsiders, being offered Oil Mining Licenses in our homelands, when we have capable Gbaramatu and Itsekiri Sons as well as Daughters, whose firms are qualified, but repeatedly denied such licenses by the sustained-structural bias of the NNPC and its subsidiaries such as the DPR”.
In a communiqué issued by Chief Odeli at the press conference, the people reiterated that the Buhari’s Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project would fail without the resumption of work at the Multi-Billion Dollar Gas Revolution Industrial Park Project, GRIP and the Deep-Sea Port in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State.
The communiqué reads in parts; “We are calling on the Federal Government to immediately halt the current process of bids for the 57 Marginal Fields whereby the doctrine of necessity should be invoked and applied to incorporate the interest of competent companies owned by Gbaramatu indigenes as well as Itsekiri Sons and Daughters from oil and gas producing communities given “right of first refusal” on marginal fields in our homelands, before being thrown open to outsiders.
“If competent companies owned by indigenes of Itsekiri oil/gas communities and Gbaramatu people are not considered by DPR for the 57 Marginal Fields with immediate effect, we will be constrained to shut-down operations of the Multi-National Oil and Gas Companies (IOCs) operating in our homelands.
“The Federal Government should direct the relevant MDAs/IOCs to embark on large scale shore protection/sand-filling projects in Itsekiri Oil/Gas producing communities and the Gbaramatu kingdom.
“The Federal Government should institute a process for the facilitation of the abandoned age-long Omadino- Escravos Road and the Koko/Ogheye Road Projects, which have remained a mere campaign tool for successive administrations, despite their strategic importance to the socio-economic development of Delta state and the South-Western part of Nigeria.
“The urgent and immediate relocation of the Floating Dock/Ship Building Yard to enhance capacity building for students at the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko as was earlier envisaged.
“We eagerly await speedy action on this as the clock ticks closer to our joint ultimatum, to avert a fresh crisis in the Oil and Gas Industry.”
