Communities in Orashi area of Rivers State have threatened that they will not allow the Nigerian LNG Limited’s Train 7 project to begin if they are not consulted by the Federal Government and the firms involved.
The communities, which came together on the platform of Ekpeye Oil and Gas Pipeline Host Communities, said on Tuesday that the international oil companies operating in the area were neglecting them.
The National Chairman of EOGPHC, Mr Chidi Idogini, accused the Federal Government and the NLNG of dealing with only Bonny communities in the Train 7 project, saying, “Attention has not been given to Ekpeye people where the gas would be drilled.”
Idogini said: “NLNG cannot start Train 7 contract without involving the Ekpeye nation, because the Train 7 is totally a business that has to do with Ekpeye and partly Ogba communities.
“This Train 7 is coming from Ekpeye; so it is expedient for them to come and discuss with us because we will not allow any company to come to Ekpeye land to do the drilling without due consultation and involvement.
“Go to Bonny that is just a transmission centre and see what is happening there, but here where it will be drilled, nothing. We are calling on every well-meaning sons and daughters of Ekpeye to take it on themselves. We are championing the interest of Ekpeye people where some person will benefit.”
He added, “NLNG cannot employ 12,000 persons in Bonny and feel that Ekpeye people will be happy. That will never happen. They must come here. If they feel they want to balkanise Ekpeye, they want to come in and feed fat, that era has gone.”
