The people of Ekeremor Constituency 11, host community to OML 46, have kicked against the opposition by Bayelsa State Government to the licence recently granted an indigenous oil firm lamenting that non-exploration of Atala oil field since 2003 is hindering the development of their community.
They therefore warned that their patience is running out and cannot guarantee peace in the community having waited for 18 years for the commencement of exploration of the Atala oil field, also known as OML 46, which in turn will hasten development of Ekeremor community.
Lawmaker representing Ekeremor Constituency 11 in Bayelsa State House of Assembly and Deputy Minority leader, Hon. Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha, in a statement on behalf of the community berated the Bayelsa State Government for opposing the licence granted the indigenous company having failed to utilize the earlier exploration license granted the state oil company
He also lambasted the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) for throwing it’s weight behind the stance of Bayelsa State Government’s opposition to the renewed licence to the indigenous oil firm noting that the youth body is now been seeing as a tool of government.
Going down memory lane, Dauyegha recalled that Atala Oil Field was discovered in 1982 and that Bayelsa State owned oil company (BCOL) was first awarded exploration licence in 2003, which had exclusive exploration rights.
He said the state oil company failed to harness the potentials of the Oil Field up till 2010 when the Federal Government graciously granted an extension of its license for five extra years for its Farm-Out Agreement for the purpose of bringing it to production.
“At the expiration of this extension in 2015, again another gracious offer was made by the Minister of Petroleum Resources to the BOCL to renew its license within 18 months effective from 1st May 2016, which again expired on December 2017.
“For 17 years, the good people of Ekeremor constituency 2 and other Host Communities, without agitations, waited patiently with diminishing expectations over these wasted years. Not only did we frown at the recklessness of its Handling,jj over the years by the BOCL, we also anticipated a response from the Federal Government who set benchmarks and regulate the activities within the upstream sector where Atala Oil Field is residual”, he said.
The lawmaker disclosed that, early this year, the Federal Government, through the Department of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources reawarded the Atala Oil Field to an indigenous Oil Exploration Company but expressed surprise that Bayelsa State Government is now opposing the move.
“When the Federal Government granted the license to the indigenous firm, this was met with huge sighs of relief and belief that the fading hopes of the Host communities will be renewed and achieved. It is worthy to note that throughout these unproductive years the good people of Ekeremor Constituency 2 and other Host Communities waited, there was relative patience, calmness and peace, as we did not protest against the BOCL for its failure to bring the expected dividends to us as host communities”, he added.
Hon. Dauyegha while commending the Federal Government for awarding the licence to the indigenous firm urged Bayelsa State Government to provide an enabling environment for it to operate.
He also congratulated the new owners of the OML 46 and urged them to, as a matter of urgency start operation, carry along the host communities as expected, and bring the long awaited dividends to the host communities, for it is long overdue.
