Stakeholders in the four core oil host communities in Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket and Onna Local Government Areas, Akwa Ibom State, have asked the Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, MPNU, to vacate their lands if it was averse to relocating its administrative headquarters to the state, its operational base, as directed by the Federal Government.

Leaders of the communities, who spoke when the Ad-hoc committee set up by the state House of Assembly, invited them and top management of Mobil for investigative hearing on the controversial N8 billion counterpart fund payment by the company for the construction of Eket-Ibeno road, said the operational license of the multinational oil firm should also be revoked.

Speaking during the hearing, the Paramount Ruler of Ibeno, Owong Effiong Achianga called for the revocation of Mobil’s operational license if the company continues in its lackadaisical attitude adding that the company should pay all environmental hazard compensation.

While presenting the position paper by the core communities before the Committee, the Chairman MPNU’S Core Communities Technical Committee, Chief Nduese Essien, expressed dismay that Mobil despite having made petrol dollars from Akwa Ibom State has refused to relocate its operational base to the State even after the express directive of the Acting President.

The leaders, who strongly complained about the unwillingness of the company to reposition to the state, stressed that the issue of relocation, which is part of the MoU signed with the company, almost 19 years ago, remains one major area of divergence between core communities in the state and the multinational oil giant, over the years.

Hhhmmm
We can pray that all should be well with Ds country