THE ILLEGAL CLOSURE OF CREEKS, PLANNED FORCEFUL DISPLACEMENT OF OBIANGA/IKONTA VILLAGES AND IRREPARABLE DEVASTATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT BY STERLING PETRO CHEMICAL & FERTILIZER LIMITED
BEING A TEXT OF A WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHIEFS, LEADERS OF THOUGHT AND GOOD PEOPLE OF EASTERN OBOLO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF AKWA IBOM STATE, HELD ON THURSDAY 30TH JANUARY, 2025 AT VILLA HILTON HOTEL AND APARTMENTS, 70-73 K LINE EWET HOUSING ESTATE, UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE BY 10.AM.
Gentlemen of the Press
INTRODUCTION
We, the Chiefs, leaders of thought and good people of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area are here today with deep indignation and profound concern over the operational activities of Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited (SPFL), an Indian Petrochemical Company operating within the territorial precinct of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area.
Recall that in the year 2022, the Akwa Ibom State Government under the leadership of His Excellency, Former Governor Udom Emmanuel acquired 1,736 hectares of our ancestral land for the operations of Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited (SPFL). The said land was acquired exclusively from the following communities in Eastern Obolo: Ikonta, Obianga, Okoroinyong, Egwenwe, Emereoke, Iwofe and Amazaba communities.
Since the commencement of civil works by SPFL, the lives of our people have been under siege as there are a number of critical socio economic and environmental challenges which SPFL has deliberately refused to address despite repeated and persuasive engagements by the host communities. Today, our land has become a theatre of oppression, harassment, intimidation, destruction of environment, ecosystem and blatant disregard for our fundamental rights. These challenges, if remained unaddressed, is capable of wiping out of existence over seven gazette villages in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area and permanently displacing the inhabitants of those villages.
Therefore, we have gathered today to expose the egregious injustices, highhandedness, corruption, breach of law and due process, non-compliance with extant and applicable environmental laws and global best practice perpetrated by the Indians operating SPFL on our land.
(1) Illegal and forceful Closure of Creeks (Federal Navigable Waterways):
(i) Gentlemen of the Press should note that the 1,736 Hectares of land acquired by Akwa Ibom State Government was to the exclusion of ancient rivers namely Okolo Obianga/Ikonta and Okolo Otuita and other creeks, which are Federal navigable waterways. Specifically, Okolo Obiang/Ikonta and Okolo Otuita are the only access route in and out of the seven land donor communities to SPFL.
(ii) For the records, we hereby state emphatically that there has never been any agreement either with the Akwa Ibom State Government or SPFL to permanently or temporarily close these strategic ancient routes which also serves as fishing grounds for the fishermen and women of the host communities. However, despite several protestations by the host communities, and a subsisting injunctive court order by Hon. Justice Joy Unwana of the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Suit No. HU/387/2023, these Indians operating SPFL led by one Col. Gush Amit and Mr. Naseer; armed with military personnel and militants, forcefully and illegally closed the entirety of all the creeks thereby trapping our communities with no access in or out of the community. It should be noted that the said communities are islands with no access by road. Therefore, the closed creeks serve as our only access routes to markets, hospitals, schools and other places of our daily endeavors.
(iii) As we speak, members of these communities are trapped and unable to access medical care for the sick and daily necessities, especially now that suspected cases of cholera have already claimed over 20 lives in one of the host communities. This is not just negligence; but it is a calculated act of oppression designed by the Indians to break our spirit and displace us from our ancestral homes.
2. Planned Forceful Displacement and Evacuation of Ikonta and Obianga Communities:
(i) We want to state categorically that the people of Obianga and Ikonta Communities have no agreement with the Akwa Ibom State Government or SPFL or its agents or privies on relocation from their present ancient communities to any other location either within or outside Eastern Obolo. Credible information at our disposal within SPFL reveal that the company is determined, if unrestrained, to forcefully displace the people of Ikonta and Obianga out of their ancestral homes. We are aware that the forceful closure of the creeks is a thought-out evil strategy to strangulate the host communities and expose them to starvation, flooding, erosion, lack of access to medical care and basic necessities of life.
(ii) For the avoidance of doubt, the compensation that was paid by Akwa Ibom State Government to Ikonta, Obianga, Okoroinyong, Egwenwe, Emereoke, Iwofe and Amazaba communities was in respect of crops and economic trees, AND NOT FOR THE CLOSURE OF CREEKS, as creeks do not constitute part and parcel of land for the purpose of payment of compensation. The 1736 hectares of land acquired by Akwa Ibom State Government does not cover or include even residential or dwelling places of any of the above mentioned host communities.
(iii) Let it be known by SPFL and the entire world that the tripartite agreement signed by the host communities, SPFL and Akwa Ibom State Government on the 17th Day of October, 2022 was just for the purpose of facilitating the payment of prompt compensation and does not have any clause therein for either the closure of creeks or relocation of Obianga/Ikonta Villages or any of the host communities. This tripartite agreement which is already in public domain speaks clearly for itself and cannot be construed or interpreted otherwise.
(iv) We are aware that these Indians plan to release harmful and hazardous substances into the air within the host communities so as to suffocate them and forcefully displace them. There is no doubt that the planned displacement of the people of Ikonta and Obianga Communities is a recipe for disaster and possible breakdown of law and order with far-reaching political, cultural and socio-economic implications. However, let it be known that we will not surrender our ancestral homes and any attempt to displace us will be met with unwavering resistance, within the bounds of the law, particularly as this vexed issue of planned displacement of our people was resolved in finality at a meeting in 2022 at Akwa lbom State Governor's lodge in Lagos, presided by the former Governor Udom Emmanuel with these Indians in attendance; to the effect that Obianga/lkonta villages SHALL NOT be relocated or displaced throughout the lifespan of the project and beyond.
3. Flagrant Breach of Extant and Applicable Environmental Laws:
(i) As you may already know, the principal statute that regulates conception and implementation of a project of this magnitude is the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, which mandatorily requires proponents to put in place a comprehensive environmental management plan to mitigate environmental issues that may arise out of the implementation of such project. Unfortunately, we hereby inform the whole world that these Indians operating SPFL have not been able to present to the people of Eastern Obolo to this date any EIA report that justifies the closure of our creeks and the planned displacement of our communities for any reason whatsoever.
(ii) SPFL has also failed to present to the Eastern Obolo people an approved and detailed environmental management plan, setting out mitigating measures to take care of the negative environmental impact that are already affecting the people of Eastern Obolo.
(iii) Reports from our environmental experts show that the unregulated operational activities of SPFL have already led to decline in agricultural activities, particularly deplorable state of fishing (which is the main occupation of our people), acidic precipitation and corrosion, surface water pollution, Atlantic Ocean encroachment and irredeemable damage of the ecosystem.
(iv) It has also been established that the operational activities of SPFL so far does not align with any of the 17 global goals of sustainable development which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.
4. Breach of Agreements and Land Grabbing:
(i) It should be noted clearly that SPFL entered into agreement with Ikonta and Obianga Communities in 2021 to relocate one of its fishing settlements to a safer location since the said fishing settlement was close to its operational area. SPFL agreed to clear, sand fill and compact 23 hectares of land and make it habitable for the people of Lagos fishing settlement. Rather than keep to the subsisting agreement freely entered into with the host communities, SPFL have forcefully chased away the fishermen of Lagos fishing settlement and annexed their land which is not part of the acquired 1,736 hectares of land. Furthermore, we wish to draw the attention of the press to the fact that SPFL has deliberately refused to limit its operational activities within the acquired 1,736 hectares of land, rather, in their expansionist and land grabbing strategy fueled by enemies of Eastern Obolo, have massively encroached and cleared well over 3,000 hectares of land as against the 1,736 earlier agreed with them. We are not ignorant of the fact that this land grabbing strategy aligns with the grand plot of the enemies of Obolo people to exterminate and decimate them out of existence. Gentlemen of the Press, we see the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob in this whole arrangement. #
5. Non-Compliance with Local Content Law and Breach of Expatriate Quota:
(i) By the local content law, certain categories of employment and contracts are the exclusive preserve of the locals. Sadly, and quite pathetic, these Indians have taken over all categories of employment in SPFL including but not limited to machine operators, cooks, cleaners and all kinds of unskilled jobs that are supposed to be the exclusive preserve of the locals. These Indians have also incorporated so many companies in Corporate Affairs Commission and they use same to award contracts for themselves in SPFL while outrightly displacing local contractors. As we speak, there are well over 1,000 Indians in our communities working as skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled employees of SPFL thereby breaching Expatriate Quota policy and the Nigerian Local Content Law which provides for the use of local resources and services in the oil and gas industries to reduce the number of foreign expatriate participation in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. We have it on good authority that most of these Indian employees of SPFL are illegal and undocumented immigrants clandestinely driven in trucks late in the night into Eastern Obolo. This constitute a very serious threat to national security.
(ii) At the base office at Iwofe and other locations of SPFL in Eastern Obolo, there are entrenched practices of racial discrimination against our people in terms of condition of service, welfare packages, incentives, and remuneration etc.
6. Failure to Meet Corporate Social Responsibilities:
(i) As you already know, every responsible and friendly corporate entity strive to execute life touching and impactful projects and programs in their host communities so as to enjoy the blessing and goodwill of the host community. The question now is; how many projects have SPFL executed in Eastern Obolo since the commencement of its operations in 2021? The answer is obvious because SPFL has not executed any project in the midst of glaring infrastructural deficit and socio-economic needs of the host communities. Are you not aware that a fourth night ago, suspected cases of cholera was reported in Emereoke, one of the host communities to SPFL and the cause traced to lack of good drinking water? Ordinarily, it is within their means to conveniently provide portable water for its host communities? SPFL have failed to provide our people with ordinary potable water because they take delight in the suffering of our people and have no conscience and regard for humanity. Our people are suffering due to lack of basic amenities while SPFL profits off our land. Their indifference to the cholera outbreak in Emereoke is a glaring example of their inhumanity and disregard for our wellbeing.
(ii) Recall that in 2024, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno led the management team of SPFL on inspection visit to ARISE model school, CKS, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo. At the said inspection, His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State called on SPFL and other corporate bodies operating in AKS to replicate the ARISE model schools in their host communities. Gentlemen of the Press, these Indians did not only ignore the call by our compassionate Governor but vowed never to undertake such project.
In the light of the above, we make the following demands:
(i) SPFL must immediately reopen all blocked water ways and creeks and restore them to their original state to allow the people of Obianga and Ikonta have unhindered access in and out of their ancestral communities and maintain their traditional occupation of fishing.
(ii) SPFL must jettison any conceived or imaginary plan to relocate or displace the people of Ikonta and Obianga Communities, as we are not ready and willing to quit our ancestral homes for any reason whatsoever. We want to make it categorically clear, that we will do everything within the ambits of the law to resist any attempt to forcefully relocate our people. We shall resist by all lawful means any attempt to wipe us out of our ancestral homes, as such moves threatens our corporate existence and heritage as a people.
(iii) SPFL must as a matter of urgency provide a 23 hectares habitable land for the resettlement of the people of Lagos fishing settlement as agreed by parties and witnessed by the Akwa Ibom State Government in 2021.
(iv) We hereby demand that SPFL must pay the people of Eastern Obolo the sum of 100 million US dollars as compensation for the irreparable damage done to our environment and ecosystem.
(v) We call on the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Nigerian Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and other government agencies and International Environmental organizations to beam their regulatory search light on the operations of SPFL and ensure that they comply strictly with extant laws and global best practice.
(vi) We hereby call on the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service to investigate and prosecute any illegal Indian immigrant found within Eastern Obolo in particular and Akwa Ibom State at large. Furthermore, the use of militants and armed hoodlums to harass, intimidate and torment our people to achieve their nefarious and reprehensible goals should thoroughly investigated in the interest of national security and territorial integrity.
(vii) SPFL should vacate the over 1,200 hectares of land occupied by them in excess of the acquired 1,736 hectares of land and restrict its operations there at. We demand the payment 30 million US Dollars for trespass and encroachment into our ancestral land, which does not form part and parcel of the acquired 1,736 hectares of land.
(viii) These demands must be taken seriously and if SPFL fails within 14 days to address our demand, we shall be left with no other option than to deploy all instrumentality of law to press home our demands including peaceful protests. We reiterate that we will not stand by while our people are oppressed, displaced, and our land destroyed. We call on His Excellency, the compassionate Governor of Akwa Ibom State, the Federal Government, the International Community and all men of good conscience to come to our help and hold SPFL accountable.
CONCLUSION
SPFL should note strongly that our demands are non-negotiable and we are resolute to defend our fundamental rights, our land, and our heritage. If these Indians operating SPFL are not ready to subject themselves and be regulated by the laws of Nigeria, they are free to relocate to India, their country of origin.
Thank you.
OBOLO ITIKI!
Long Live Eastern Obolo Local Government Area
Long Live Akwa Ibom State
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Oboloheritage
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