PIA Default: Conoil Producing Gets 14-Day Ultimatum from Delta Ijaw Community

Omon-Julius  Onabu in Asaba

 The oil-rich community of Tsekelewu (Polobubo) in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State has threatened to shut down ongoing exploration activities of Conoil Producing Limited if the company failed to reach definite agreement with the community on the implementation of Chapter 3 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for the Tsekelewu bloc of communities.

The leadership of the Tsekelewu Community Development Association (TCDA), which issued the two-week notice via a statement made available to THISDAY in Asaba yesterday, said community adopted the option due to seemingly snobbish attitude of the management of Conoil Producing as the company’s management had refused to honour letters asking for a meeting with the TCDA on the issue of the PIA implementation.

A petition signed by the President-General of the Tsekelewu (Polobubo) Development Association, Dr. Bright Abulu and the spokesman of the association, Mr. Christmas Ukagha, however, stated that the decision for the ultimatum was taken at the end of year 2022 general meeting of the development association held in Tsekelewu town on December 28, 2022.

Dated December 30, 2022 and addressed to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Conoil Producing Limited, the Tsekelewu Community expressed dismay that there was no visible evidence of any effort by the company to implement Chapter 3 of the PIA and the Nigeria Upstream Host Communities Development Regulation 2022.

Entitled ‘Fourteen (14) Days Ultimatum to Implement Chapter 3 of 2021 Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in Tsekelewu (Polobubo) Host Community and Bloc of Communities by Conoil Producing Limited at OML 103’, the community said that its leadership “wrote a letter dated May 3, 2022 and acknowledged as received by your company, we requested your company to engage the leadership of our body responsible for the implementation of Chapter 3 of the 2021 Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“It is worrisome that your company declined to respond to our request for over eight months and no visible plan to implement Chapter 3 of 2021 PIA in Tsekelewu (Polobubo) Host Community and Bloc of Communities in OML 103. This is an outright violation of the Chapter 3 of the 2021 PIA and Nigeria Upstream Host Communities Development Regulation 2022.”

The community further said that it was regrettable that the Company has gone on with its “massive dredging activities” in the community without heeding their request for a meeting on the implementation of the relevant chapter of the PIA and without providing the Environmental Impact Assessment (PIA) to the Tsekelewu community.

It expressed regret that the management of the company was yet to “get across to the leadership of Tsekelewu (Polobubo) Development Association”, which is the apex body in the community saddled with the responsibility to implement the PIA and the host communities development regulation.

Against the foregoing, the TCDA at the aforementioned meeting resolved: “That Conoil Producing Limited should engage the leadership of Tsekelewu Community Development Association (formerly Tsekelewu National Council) to implement Chapter 3 of the 2021 PIA for Tsekelewu (Polobubo) and her Bloc of communities on or before January 20, 2023. Failure to comply shall lead to stoppage of Conoil Producing Limited ongoing dredging activities by Tsekelewu Community;

“That Conoil Producing Limited should provide the Community the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for your ongoing massive dredging work on or before January 10, 2023.”

Nonetheless, the letter, which was copied the company’s OML 103 Site Supervisor, the Nigerian Army, the police and other security agencies in the area, advised Conoil Producing company by to schedule a meeting with the leadership of the Tsekelewu development body “to put processes and timelines in place for the successful execution of Chapter 3 of the 2021 PIA and the Nigeria Upstream Host Communities Development Regulation.”