The Ifalbobou
Revolutionary Movement, (IRM) has expressed concerns over operations of
First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company, (First E&P) within the
KEFFES host communities in Bayelsa.
KEFFES, is an acronym for eight Chevron host communities in
Bayelsa comprising Koluama 1 2, Ezetu 1 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni and Sangana
located along the Atlantic coastline within Bayelsa.
First E&P in 2015 acquired the two oil blocks OML 85 and 86
from Chevron Nigeria Limited.
The group said they had safety concerns on the rig
deployed at the operational area by First E&P and later withdrew an
ultimatum on the grounds that stakeholders had intervened to resolve the
concerns it expressed.
It will be recalled that a rig explosion at an oilfield operated
by Chevron in the area in January 2012 ignited a fire that burnt down the
ill-fated KS-Eandeavor rig and devastated the ecosystem.
IRM had claimed that First E&P entered the communities and
began drilling operations without conducting the mandatory Environmental Impact
Assessment, (EIA), to determine the health impact of its activities on the host
communities.
Reacting to the allegation, Mr Mathew Sele-Epri, Chairman of
KEFFES Regional Development Foundation (KRDF), constituted to interface
with oil firms dismissed the group as self serving.
Sele-Epri said that the Foundation was a creation of the KEFFES
communities to liase with First E&P and other oil firms operating in the
area and hence the allegations of shielding the company was baseless.
According to Sele-Epri, the community leadership has a written
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which came into operations shortly after the
acquisition of the oil firm..
He said that Chevron had conducted EIA on the oil blocks prior
to divestment adding that First E&P had conducted baseline studies
before commencement of drilling.
“The KRDF under my leadership holds firmly to the principles of
transparency of truth, the allegations are totally false, the oil firm has an
existing cordial relationship with First E&P guided by an MoU.
“The community was given employment slots and we cannot be
silent when there is misinformation, the group is self seeking and their
allegations and claims have no basis.
“The community and its leadership remain committed to
maintaining peace to retain the interest of investors and attract additional
investment to the KEFFES communities.
But, Joseph Sese, Leader of IRM said that First
E&P was yet to address the concerns it raised.
Sese accused the leadership of KEFFES KRDF abandoning the
communities it ought to be representing and assumed the work of the spokesman
of the company.
“Before we issued the ultimatum, our concerns were against the
company, First E & P and not the KRDF.
"But to our greatest surprise, the leadership of the KRDF,
a body constituted by host communities to interface between Chevron and host
communities; a body in real sense mandated to function and to act and relate
with Chevron to promote community interests.
“How can a host community representative body as KRDF be the
first to respond to us in a matter serious as EIA Report?
"It even went as far as misrepresenting the outcome of the
intervention efforts by critical stakeholders in the industry to deceive the
public by stating that the issues raised by this group against First E & P
operations in OML 83 & 85 have been addressed
“Has the company come up with the EIA Selepiri is claiming
had been done, or where is the well certifications for the twenty wells they
are about to drill?
"How did 18 job slots for eight host communities
satisfy the interest of the teeming unemployed? Has the company made any
promise about employing C.L.O from the host communities ?.
“How did base line study qualify as a complete EIA? Can EIA be
done in the dark or overnight”, IRM stated.
IRM demanded the display of an up to date certification from
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for the twenty wells First E&P is about to drill in the operation.
Sese said that the group would seek the support of international
environmental rights groups to protest and draw attention to the breach of best
practices at KEFFES oilfields.
First E&P declined comments on the development.
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