Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists - Politics - Nairaland
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| Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Ikology(m): 1:12pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
DESPITE what looked like a momentary truce between the governments of Anambra, Kogi and Enugu State over the crisis of ownership of oil well OPL 915 being presently explored by Orient Petroleum Limited in Anambra State, The Guardian’s investigations reveal that the truce might not last due to the manner the matter is being handled by concerned authorities, especially the National Boundaries Commission (NBC) and the Presidency. Investigations revealed that following the public outcry over the explorative activities of Orient Petroleum Limited in the oil producing communities of Igga/Asaba, Ojjor and Ogurugu without recourse to the consent, rights and privileges of the people in the communities, the government of Enugu State, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council Area, government of Kogi State, Ibaji Area Council, Anambra State government, Anambra East Local government, the representatives of National Boundaries Commission, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, Igga/Asaba, Ojjor, Ogurugu, Odeke, Echenwo and Enugwu-Otu Aguleri had met on April 25, 2012 at the Office of the Secretary to Government of Enugu State, Abuja Building, Government House, Enugu. Those who attended the meeting included Chairman, Uzo-Uwani Council Area, Cornell Onwubuya, traditional rulers from Igga, Ojjor, Adani, Ogurugu and Town Union Presidents and Secretaries from Igga, Ojjor, Ogurugu, Adani and Chief Maximus Ukuta. Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Enugu State and others made representations and the need to maintain absolute peace and co-existence in the border communities was stressed. On April 26, 2012 stakeholders meetings were convened at Awka involving the Enugu State delegation led by Onyebuchi, Onwubuya, state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, while Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state led Anambra delegation and Chief Nwaka on behalf of Orient Petroleum Limited. A source at the meeting revealed that Enugu State delegation made their stand clear as land owners, brandishing some supporting documents, while management of Orient Petroleum pledged to be fair to all and appealed for calm. It was alleged that at the meeting, neither Anambra State government nor the people of Aguleri presented any verifiable evidence of ownership of the oil location. Instead, they appealed to the people of Enugu State for understanding as, according to them, “they will get their fair share from the oil derivation benefits”. The Enugu State delegation on its part reiterated its commitment to peace and good neighbourliness. After the commissioning of the Orient Petroleum Refinery at Aguleri-Otu, Anambra East Council Area, President Goodluck Jonathan declared Anambra as an oil-producing state, a declaration which angered the people of the communities in Kogi and Enugu State that have been laying claim of ownership of the oil wells. Following the renewed clashes among the people of the communities, President Jonathan on October 31, 2012 summoned another meeting involving representatives of Anambra, Kogi and Enugu State at the Presidential Villa. Deputy Governor Onyebuchi led Enugu delegation to the meeting. Others included Senator Ayogu representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Anthony Ani Esq., Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Cornell Onwubuya, Executive Chairman, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council and Chief Osai Osai. Anambra and Kogi delegations were led by the Anambra State governor, Peter Obi and his Kogi counterpart, Alhaji IdrisWada. It was alleged that at the meeting, Obi summarily dwelt on the huge investment made by Anambra State government and Orient Petroleum Limited in the disputed oil location without making any strong claims and proof of ownership by Enugwu-Out Aguleri in Anambra East Local Council Area of Anambra State. He claimed ignorance of the fact that the place was in dispute. Wada, his Kogi counterpart, according to a source at the meeting, declared that from the available records and history, the people of Kogi have boundaries with the Igala- speaking communities in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area and not Enugwu-Otu Aguleri as claimed by stakeholders from Anambra State and appealed to President Jonathan to intervene in order to ensure amicable resolution of the dispute. Onyebuchi stressed that when he received complaints of trespass and incursion into the lands belonging to the Igala-speaking communities in Uzo-Uwani where the oil wells are allegedly located, he met Obi on the issue, even at the South East Governors’ Forum and enjoined him to warn his people to desist from the acts, including the oil prospecting. According to the source, President Jonathan at the meeting declared that he had received more swipes than envisaged since he went to commission or inaugurate the oil facility belonging to Orient Petroleum as his office was inundated with petitions even in the media and that he could not categorically state where the oil wells were located. President Jonathan, the source noted, stated that there were many issues to be determined and appealed for restraint and peace in the three states. He reportedly refuted the stories in some sections of the media that he declared Anambra State an oil-producing state and urged the three states, the National Boundaries Commission, Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to look into the matter with a view to undertaking field tracing and demarcating the boundary points in the three states. Based on the Presidency’s directives, the joint meeting of officials on Enugu/Kogi Interstate boundary was held in Lokoja on December 4, 2012. At the meeting were Onwubuya, his vice, Mr. Maxwell Odakpa, three persons and traditional rulers from Igga, Ojjor, Asaba and Ogurugu communities and their Kogi State counterparts. It was resolved that a Technical Committee comprising the following people be constituted: representatives of National Boundaries Commission (NBC) Surveyor Bashir Shettima (Director, Internal Boundaries); Surveyor A.A. Adaji (Deputy Director, Internal Boundaries) Surveyor Ibrahim Musa (Deputy Director, Research and Planning) A.U. Ugbah, Mr. Abdullahi Baffa. Representatives from Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation included Surveyor J.F. Oyeyemi (Deputy Director Internal Boundaries) Surveyor M. Akiwade (Project Surveyor) Surveyor I.B. Ojesanmi (Principal Surveyor) Surveyor Azubuike Jerry .C. (Surveyor I.) Representatives of Enugu State government officials included Surveyor Amadi K.U. (Surveyor-General) Elder S.U. Ugwu Prince (Secretary, Boundary Committee) Surveyor Ishiwu G.C. (Project Surveyor) Representatives of Kogi State included Surveyor M.O. Oguns (Surveyor General) Mr. Olarewaju M.A. (Secretary, Boundary Committee) Mr. Negedu Achimugu Amos (Senior Technical Office). After deliberations in Abuja which lasted from January 22-24 this year, the Committee resolved that the Kabba provincial map already scanned and geo-references by the office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation be used in conjunction with the Gazette of places and names and Benue Provincial Map to be used also. The Committee further recommended that the use of extracted coordinates and plotting on the Kabba and Benue Provincial Maps as guide for the field work can be undertaken as agreed in the communique of the Lokoja meeting of December 4 last year and flag-off of the field tracing at Umulokpa, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area on February 25, 2013. The states were saddled with the responsibility of sensitizing their border communities. It was revealed that the ethnographic study of Enugu-Kogi Inter boundaries had been proposed by the National Boundaries Commission on May 20, 2009 vide a memo to the Surveyor General of Enugu State No. NBC.210/x. The Guardian investigations revealed that the bone of contention which sparked off the recent killings in the agitating communities of Kogi, Enugu and Anambra on March 25 was the disagreement in the tracing exercise of Enugu and Kogi States on March 21 when the stakeholders from Ibaji Area Council Kogi State and Uzo-Uwani Local Government Enugu State found out that the officials saddled with the responsibility of carrying out the exercising allegedly jettisoned the guide and methodology adopted by members of the Technical Committee in its meeting in Abuja held between 22nd and 24th January this year. The officials stipulated that the tracing exercise should take off from congruence of Anambra with old channel of River Okpo bearing the identified co-ordinates Eastings and Northings 060 57” 27”. 234E; 060 51” 14”. 17N, instead of originally commencing from the junction of River Odah with features found in-between (Igga) Enugu State and Echeno in Kogi State, bearing the Co-ordinates as follows: 060 48’ 31.755E, 060 34’ 17”. 359N. It was alleged that if the tracing commenced from Ogurugu axis as purportedly directed by Prof. P.C. Nwilo, Surveyor General of the Federation, an indigene of Adazi-Enu in Anambra against the adopted technical guide, it then means that it will no longer commence from Echeno in Kogi State, thereby placing Igga and Ojjor communities in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in the area which would be traced to Kogi and Anambra States instead of Kogi/Enugu States. http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=118713:why-tussle-over-anambra-oil-wells-persists&catid=1:national&Itemid=559 |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Ikology(m): 1:24pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
Ikology: DESPITE what looked like a momentary truce between the governments of Anambra, Kogi and Enugu State over the crisis of ownership of oil well OPL 915 being presently explored by Orient Petroleum Limited in Anambra State, The Guardian’s investigations reveal that the truce might not last due to the manner the matter is being handled by concerned authorities, especially the National Boundaries Commission (NBC) and the Presidency. |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Ikology(m): 1:31pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
The reportage here I guess is balanced, let us have deliberations devoid of jabs. |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Ikology(m): 1:33pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
. THE tension that was generated over the vast oil fields feeding the Orient Petroleum’s Anambra River production facility at Aguleri-Otu in the Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State is yet abate. Last Saturday, Aguleri-Otu community in Anambra-East Council of Anambra State, led by the traditional ruler, Igwe Alex Edozieuno, the Eze Ndo, urged the Enugu and Kogi states governments to call their respective indigenes to order over what they described as their continued inflammatory public utterances over the actual location of the oil wells recently commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan. Igwe Edozieuno had urged those who have issues with the location of the oil well or boundaries of his kingdom to follow it up with the National Boundaries Commission (NBC) and or the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation in the Presidency, saying that was the most reasonable thing to do in the circumstances, instead of stoking crises and tension in the area. It could be recalled that shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan declared Anambra Nigeria’s 10th oil producing state while inaugurating the indigenous private oil refinery on August 30, 2012, vehement protests came from Enugu and Kogi States challenging their exclusion from oil producing status as Anambra. The president’s historic declaration albeit inadvertent, was like stirring the hornet’s nest. Although the President did not denounce his pronouncement, he was quick to direct the National Boundary Commissioner to take urgent steps, to determine the actual boundaries between Enugu and Anambra on one hand and Kogi and Anambra on the other hand. Since then, the National Boundary Commission has taken steps to nip the impasse in the bud. During a recent visit to Igga by The Guardian, an Igalla speaking community in Uzo-Uwani Local Council Area of Enugu State which has been laying claims to the ownership of the oil wells across Imabolo River to feel the pulse of the villagers, a traditional ruler of Igga Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Igwe Herbert Ukuta III, decried the exclusion of Enugu State from benefiting from what he described as “God given endowment” to the state. “There is no boundary or land dispute whatsoever. Get me right. The communities we have here are Igga, Ogurugu, Ojor and Asaba. The fact was that in those days across Imabollo River, we own the parcel of lands in the oil fields. We have over 100 natural fishponds there. Because our forefathers concentrated in rice farming (not on the land) but at Adarice Farms, they engaged the services of Aguleri fishermen to come and help us harvest our fishponds. After harvesting the fish, we divided it into three, we took two parts as the owners of the land and Aguleri people would take one part. So, it was in the ratio of 1:2. “Eventually, the Aguleri fishermen who have been coming with canoe from their distant homes pleaded with us to allow them settle on our land so as to make their operations more convenient and safer. They are migrants. Our people considered their plea and allowed them to settle on our land. They continued working for us in the ponds from generation to generation but surprisingly, they started claiming ownership of the land we gave them. If you go across the river, you will see signposts bearing inscriptions – “Migrant this, migrant that, or settlement that. I would want to ask, “if you are the owner of a land, will you write migrant primary school in a school in your community? It is not possible. Go across the river and you will see the signpost bearing this inscription. So, I don’t know how they managed or what must have come over their heads or mind when they started claiming ownership of our land,” Ukuta said. He added: “This oil you are talking about was first discovered in the 50s before Nigeria became independent. SAFRAP was the first company to strike the oil. It was an oil prospecting company just like SHELL. The oil was discovered and sealed by the company, because they said it was not in commercial quantity with the type of technology available in those days. Recently, Orient came to us and told us that they have license from the Federal Government to prospect for oil in our land. We inspected their license and saw that it was genuine and gave them right of way to the oil wells, but asked them to stay away from the town’s politics. They passed through here and some of them were living in the community, even in my palace free of charge, with staff of its subsidiary, SINOPET. “We heard that a refinery was built about 150 kilometers from here in our neighboring state, Anambra. We started hearing news from radio and reading in newspapers that these oil wells on our soil are no longer our own, that they belong to Anambra. Even when Mr. President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan came to commission some projects in Anambra including the Orient Refinery, he also visited here; it was when he left that we heard that Anambra is now an oil producing state. They (Anambra) may have oil in their place, we don’t know, but the oil wells across Imabolo River 915 OPL and 916 OPL are situated naturally on Igga land. “We also heard and read in newspapers that the governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi said he invested N4.4 billion in the oil activities. We are not interested in how much he invested, but what we are asking with the little knowledge we have about the Nigerian law is, “does investment confer ownership of land to the investor?” This is our humble question. In essence, Anambra may have all the refineries, but the truth remains that the oil they are refining in Aguleri Otu is in our land and we are entitled to royalties accruing there from and we are in Enugu State.” Mr. Ik. Eleanya, an ex-councillor who represented the community in a meeting called by the presidency to address the controversy surrounding the ownership of the oil wells corroborated Ukuta’s position. He said: “I represented Uzo-Uwani and Enugu State at the meeting convened by the Boundary Commissioner at Lokoja, Kogi State. Igga has boundary with Ijomo on the south; Ijomo is in Ibagi, Kogi State. We have no boundary with Aguleri, what we have at Ajiafe is “tripartite point”. Also Igga, Echewo and Ajiafe have “tripartite point”. We have boundary with Odeke. We have boundary with Anyikpi at Ewa, all in Ibaji Local Council Area of Kogi State. We have no common boundary with Aguleri except the tripartite point at Ajiogbo and it was gazetted in 1954 legal notice, Number 54. At the Lokoja meeting with the Boundary Commissioner, it was agreed that by February 2013, the parties with the commissioner will visit the disputed land and that no other new documents will be entertained except the legal notice number 54. We have no boundary dispute with Kogi State. “Some of us originated from Kogi and some Kogi people originated from Igga, so also, like Ogurugu and Ojor, we are brothers; we are Igala speaking communities in Enugu State. We are the sons of Attah Idoko of Igalla land. In the olden days the Attah had boundary with Onitsha at Nkisi (stream) the Anam people in Anambra State are Igalla. Both Aguleri Otu and Umuleri are descendants of Igala. The colonisation of Onitsha was between the Igala and Benin kingdom.” Eleanya further said: “When first the Orient Oil came, they promised us adequate compensation and that they have not come to fight for land but to prospect for oil. They assured us they would compensate us. When they approached us for the construction of their magazine, we gave them land. We then also gave them right of way to the oil fields. But in the heat of the crisis, they hurriedly relocated their magazine to Umueje, a community domiciled on our land. Umeje people are settlers on our land also. In 2011 SINOPET relocated to Umuje and also diverted the road, which hitherto passed through Igga. When our people protested, Anambra people sent soldiers that killed one of us named Onyibo. Umueje people have no right to give out land because they are tenants on our land. We have a court judgment in our favour in respect of this. “In 1988 we sold a portion of land across Umueje. Igwe Agbalakata II was signatory for Igga while the Igwe of Umueje, who is still alive, signed for his people in respect of the latter’s tenancy on our land. One of our leaders, Chief Maximus Ukara had advised us to remain calm since the incident, that we will be adequately compensated even for our son who was killed in cold blood by soldiers allegedly hired by Anambra people.” An Octogenarian in the community Paul Ekwobi also buttressed the point that Igga people are the owners of the land where the oil is located. “I was a small child when we accompanied our parents to the oil field to meet some white men. On such occasion we were with Chief Fabian who was very much younger then. His father, R.O. Ukuta, had gone to meet with the white men in the bush on that occasion. But before we arrived, the white men had already started working on the oil. R.O. was angry and asked them why they started before he arrived. Fabian wanted to attack the white men, but his father called him to order; calling him – Fabian, Fabian, Fabian calm down. The white men then apologised to R.O. “Our forefathers have been farming on the land where the oil well is from time immemorial. We grew up and started working and harvesting our fishponds, fetching firewood across Imebolo River. We have boundary with Odekpe across the river. What we do with Aguleri people is that we gave them fishponds to harvest for us on our behalf, while we face our rice farming. It surprises me how Aguleri people can rise up now to lay claim to our land. It is an abomination. They took oath for us never to claim the land. Oath taking was the written agreement of those days. When I was a kid, I followed our father, Ubagwu Ochogu to the fishponds and farms across Imabolo River. After farming, the Aguleri people will bring the fish from the fishponds. We will take two parts while Aguleri people will take one part. Then there was peace and everything went on smoothly. I am surprised that in my lifetime, Aguleri people are claiming the oil in our land. The oil in question is on our land. It belongs to us. At a point the Anambra people brought soldiers to kill a young boy from our town named Onyibo. We are Igala but we are in Enugu State. The oil well is in Enugu State. We are pleading with the Federal Government to come to our aid and save us from the oppression of Anambra people.” 1 Like |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Nobody: 3:48pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
Ikology: The reportage here I guess is balanced, let us have deliberations devoid of jabs. The Reportage is not balanced, it is subtly painting the Anambra State Government as an aggressor or devoid of proof. And to say they have no proof, I wonder whether you have not come across court decision released by Aguluery on the land ownership. But let me help you guys a bit. 1. The owner or rather occupant of the land has absolutely no bearing in the issue, Land are owned by government and Administered by State government. So who fishes in a pond or whatever has no bearing. 2. The question is, by the establishment of state boundaries, which state does this land fall into. Now on the economic aspect of what is going on, I really loath the fact that Africans like to un-develop them selves with unnecessary clannish behaviour. Above all, the ownership arguments show that the people involved know very little about oil exploration. Orient is a company that owns exploration rights in an block that spans three states, Anambra, Enugu, and Kogi State. Their OML and OPL licences are not going to be revoked for the next 20 to 40 years, so no other person is entitled to explore, talk-less of mining oil in the block by the laws of Nigeria. The Hen pecking by Enugu State and Kogi State will only make the company reluctant to fully invest in the oil located the whole block, Most likely their are fields spanning into these states. Effectively what you achieve is locking up oil in their states from exploration for the next 20 - 30 years. When the Orient Licence will be up for renewal. Even then, the company may retain mining right to the bock. Orient will likely not sit down and not produce oil because you have a land ownership dispute. Lets assume Anambra State Losses the oil wells to Enugu State and Kogi State, they own Orient and will shut down the old well, and drill new deviated wells from locations well in Anambra state. It will only cost them more. So the question is this, Assuming its true (which I doubt) that Enugu and Kogi state own the location of the current wells. The Oil block is owned by Orient, they can mine oil with wells located anywhere within the block in any of the three states, even if the actual oil field spans into your states. What you are doing is indirectly creating problems and pushing the company not to locate oil wells within your area. Especially given the fact that Anambra state owns a large share of the company. Are one or two oil wells that can have alternatives worth killing people for, or all these animosity between these communities. How much oil is even being produced? Understand this: No matter what the result of this case is, Orient will exploit the oil in the block. They have paid for the mining license and will not incur losses. Creating conflict is only going to reduce the economic benefit these communities would have gained from the works going on in the area. Subsequent oil wells from orient will be deviated, they will only sink oil wells into Enugu State, and Kogi State if the Oil field is very far into these states and does not span the borders. But that is if Anambra state Govt. is willing to provide funds for oil exploration in Enugu or Kogi states given this crisis. It is a shame that rather than work together with Anambra state that has taken the initiative to create a vibrant oil industry in the Area, these states have resorted to squabbles and tales of century old fishing. What about taking up more shares in orient to accelerate exploration in your areas like Anambra state Govt did? This bring them down syndrome is really amazing. The fact that the oil in this area is very small, it will not attract any IOC. The best way of taking advantage of it is for the state Governments to work together. 1 Like |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Nobody: 4:34pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
KenGali: Investment doesn't infer ownership. No matter the amount the Anambra people invested in the oil, it is still not Anambra's oil. What led to the problem was media propaganda propagated by those who want the oil well to be declared as belonging to Anambra. No matter how much is spent on the oil well, the invesment is a waste when you weren't willing to work with the owners. This case can be solved easily. Kogi state is the oil producing state and not Anambra. The orient oil should be cautious in the matter and let the communities settle it first at least until the oil owners are satisfied. |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Abagworo(m): 4:45pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
What interests me in this write up is the part which declares Anam, Aguleri and Umuleri as Igala people. While I already held that belief , this only serves as a lesson to Nigerian government with regards to boundary, ethnicity and rights to natural resource control. Imagine what its like in Egbema where a community under one traditional ruler was shared between 2 States just because of oil. It is same in Abia where Ndoki is divided between Abia, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom. The Obigbo part of Rivers State still remains farmland of families in Abia State but they have no right to their own resources because the part where the oil is explored is in Rivers State. |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Nobody: 5:29pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
So Aguleri/Umuleri/anam people are now Igala?  |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by OdenigboAroli(m): 7:14pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
This thread is so funny..... |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Nobody: 11:53pm On Apr 13, 2013 |
0lumide: Do you read at all. By Nigerian law, there can be no Anambra or Enugu or Kogi Oil. In Nigeria oil and anything below the surface belongs to the federal government. That mining right is transferred to a License owner which in this case is Orient petroleum. Oil derivation fund for states is based on location of wells not location of oil. No company will give you specific data on the location of their oil fields when it is at Appraisal and development stage. On any boundary, oil wells can be deviated or even horizontal, and not directly over the oil. Meaning, assuming that truly the oil wells are not in Anambra state, if you take the oil wells away, the mining license is held by Anambra state owned company. They will shut the old wells and sink new wells from locations well in Anambra state and still extract the oil. (in fact that's what they would have done initially if they knew of all this bad blood). So why the hell are people sounding like broken records. 1 Like |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Ejanla07: 1:57pm On Nov 04, 2016 |
0lumide: Of course the afonja who can't locate anambra in the map have something to say 2 Likes |
| Re: Why Tussle Over' Anambra Oil Wells' Persists by Xenowerk4000(m): 3:25pm On Jul 15, 2020 |
So Aguleri/Umuleri/anam people are now Igala?That made me laugh . |
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