OML 103 PIA Default: Conoil Gets 10-day Reprieve as Delta Community Extends Ultimatum

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Conoil Producing Limited has received a 10-day period of grace as the two weeks ultimatum to the company over alleged silence in the face of the non-implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the Upstream Host Community regulations for the Delta community of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) elapses today (Tuesday), January 10, 2023.

The host community announced yesterday that the extension of the ultimatum was in response to a letter received from Conoil Producing Limited inviting nominations into the proposed board towards the implementation of relevant sections of the PIA and the host communities development regulations.

The was contained in a statement entitled, “OML 103 PIA Default: We extend our ultimatum by 10 days”, made available to THISDAY in Asaba yesterday.

Specifically, the community called the company’s attention to the fact that the ultimatum “to implement provisions of Chapter 3 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 and the Nigerian Upstream Host Communities Development Regulations 2022 within 14 Days; the ultimatum should expire tomorrow, Tuesday, January10, 2023.”

“Today, however, we extend the ultimatum by 10 days. Our decision to extend the ultimatum is to give the company time to act based on a letter received from them and the intervention of well-meaning persons.”

Although the letter asking the Polobubo and Opuama Community leadership to nominate persons to the Board, Management and the Advisory Committee to enable your company constitute the PIA leaves a lucuna as the letter neither bears the name nor position of the ‘authorised signatory.’

“Nevertheless it is our hope and desire that the extension will enable the company furnish our leadership the number of persons/nominees required for the Board, Management and the Advisory,” the community stated.

Signed by President-General, Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Community, Dr.Bright Abulu,  and its Bloc Communities, as well as Rev Clement Doyah-Tiemo and Mr. Christmas Ukagha, general secretary and PRO of the community, respectively, the statement further said: “Also, we wish to state that our request to make available the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by your company stands, in the light of the fact that your Sweeping and Dredging activities are negatively affecting our people stands.”