By Vivian Emoni

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has mandated Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), to ensure it abides by the agreement regarding community compensation.

Mr Ekene Enefe, Chairman, Investment Monitoring Committee, gave the directive on Thursday in Abuja, during a meeting with a delegation from SEEPCO and some host communities in Anambra.

Enefe, also a Commissioner representing Anambra in the RMAFC, said that the commission invited the company and the communities to discuss some outstanding issues lingering amongst them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communities were Ogwu-Ikpele Community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra and Ugwu Aniocha in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta.

He noted that SEEPCO was expected to adhere to Nigerian laws and regulations regarding community compensation, including those related to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Social Impact Assessments (SIAs).

He said that the company was also supposed to abide by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Enefe said that the company should engage in transparent dialogue with the Ogwu-Ikpele and Ugwu Aniocha Communities and to fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations.

“These obligations are often detailed in Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with the communities.

“So as far as I am concerned, the community has to be developed. We want to see the community developed.

“The community should have a sense of belonging. We don’t want issues of militancy. We don’t want issues of pipes being broken.

“The communities need to live in harmony with the company and the company also needs to operate in harmony,’’ he said.

Mr Patrick Esumai, representative of the Ogwu-Ikpele Community, said that SEEPCO established in 2016 in the community, adding that since its inception, the company was not really adhering to their agreement.

Esumai said that the community was denied their right and SEEPCO was not showing any commitment to ensure that the community`s benefits were provided.

According to him, the community is shallow as SEEPCO does not offer jobs to the youths and the company only engages them without an offer of appointment letters.

“They engaged our youths with skill acquisition, promised to equip them but the company will not even complete the training with our youths.

“Any compensation the company is offering is going directly to the family involved. Our people will not get such compensation and that is not how it should be.

“Any compensation being given by the company is supposed to go to both the direct landlords and the community as well,’’ he said.

Mr Martins Egharhevwa, Commissioner Representing Delta in the commission, said that the committee would want to know if the company operates with databases.

“The database will determine the number of buyers of crude oil or maybe gas. We really want to also know the way you handle things in terms of social corporate responsibility.

“Also, in the area of infrastructural development, the committee will want to have a detailed response on these areas,’’ he said.

Responding, Mr Rajender Bhangara, Head, Business Development of the company, pleaded with the committee to give the company one week to put some documents in order.

“Permit me to gather some documents required and get relevant people who will give details of what is happening in the areas, and then I will revert to the committee by next week,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the parties agreed to meet in a week’s time as pleaded by Bhangara. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu