The Oily Rage in Akwa Ibom

That the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah is today at the fore front of the campaign for resource control in the country is understandable. His state which is one of the richest in terms of crude oil deposits happens to be one of the most under-developed, a reality which it shares with the other states of the South-South geo-political zone.

There is also the vexatious issue of the onshore/offshore dichotomy which the government of Obong Attah believes is a deliberate attempt by the federal government to take over the ownership of its God given resource endowment.

So strongly thus he feel about this that he had to warn that any attempt by the Federal Government to re-introduce the dichotomy would amount to levying war against the people of the region. "There is no way war could break out as a result of resource control, but what would threaten the peace is the issue of onshore and offshore dichotomy. Anybody who reintroduces it will create war"

Given this mind set, it is no wonder then that the state Governor is an irreconcilable advocate for an arrangement that would allow states total control of their resources while paying taxes to the federal government.

In one of the numerous interviews he has granted on the issue of resource control, the Governor had remarked that the clamour goes beyond the issue of money. It also has to do with the despoliation of the environment.

According to him, "we certainly do not want a situation in which we will continue to flare gas in our back yard forever and if we do not have a measure of control over how these things are done, it might continue. We do not want our environment to be totally polluted. We even want to have a say in who gets the benefit of these things".

"The other day when Mobil was shut down, I heard that about 600,000 barrels of oil did not come out of the ground in one day. But I can look in the face of anybody that in the 30 years of exploration, I cannot name one Akwa Ibom person that has lifted one barrel of oil. So, resource control does not mean I grab everything.

But just as he and some colleagues strive to give appropriate definition to what their clamour is all about with a view to getting support, the Akwa Ibom state government was engaged in yet another oily struggle. On this front, the battle is between the state government and Exxon Mobil, a battle which culminated in the May rally at Eket where the company has its only operational base in the country.

Speaking on behalf of the government and people of the state, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Bassey Essien said the people could no longer condone the insensitivity of the company which failed to implement an accord it entered into with the government on the appointment of an indigene of the state as the company's Genera Counsel.

Accusing the multi-national oil firm of bad faith and double dealings aimed at dividing the people of the state over the matter, Hon. Essien described as an insult, the position that no body from the state has the qualification to be so appointed.

He was also to re-echo the governor's call that the company should relocate its headquarters from Lagos to Akwa Ibom State. Attah while addressing newsmen at his Dolphin Estate residence before his inauguration in 1999, said the company whose only operational base was in Eket had no business locating its headquarters in Lagos.

He said the relocation of the Mobil headquarters to Akwa Ibom will portray the company as being concerned about the infrastructural development of the state and would subsequently shore up economic activities in the area. Besides Mobil, Attah had similarly expressed disgust with ELF Petroleum for locating its headquarters in Port Harcourt when its major exploration activities take place in Akwa Ibom.

But while there has been no further comments concerning ELF, Mobil has continued to be in the lime light with its activities being closely monitored. The government will always react strongly to any of the decisions taken by the company and of which they feel is not in harmony with the aspirations of the people.

This was aptly demonstrated by the Deputy Governor of the State, Obong Chris Ekpenyong when it was reported that the company intends to transfer about 30 million dollars to its home government in the United States.

Ekpenyong in his reaction to the alleged plan expressed regrets that despite frequent consultations with the company, it still does not see the need to be sensitive to the feelings and interest of the people of the state.

His reaction which came about three weeks before the rally in Eket was suggestive of what the government had in store for the company. In the said reaction in which he was addressing indigenes of Eket, the Deputy Governor that the government would resist any attempt by the company to treat it in a condescending manner or relegate it to the background.

It was during this same dialogue that he also hinted on how uncomfortable the government was with the company over its decision not to honour an agreement entered into by both parties when Paul Cadwell was in charge of the company.

In its reaction to the allegation that indigenes of the state are being marginalised by way of employment, the company. Stated that 666 out of its 1536 regular staff are indigenes of the state, while 28 of the 99 managers are also from the state. Claiming that it has by way of deliberate corporate policy exceeded the federal government requirement that foreign companies operating in the country must at least have 60 percent of its work force at the junior cadre from its immediate area of operation, it also declared that of the 1207 senior staff in its employ, 547, representing 45 percent of such category of workers are from the state. This is in addition to the standing company policy that all of its contractors must employ indigenes of the state.

The company painted a picture of how well it has impacted positively on the economic empowerment of the state. It disclosed that between 1997 to 2000, it paid about N2.2 billion as PAYE tax to the Federal Government, while the state received about N1.2 billion. It further declared that it has within the same period paid about N186 million as withholding tax to the state, an amount which it says, represents 68 percent of the N274 million it paid to the government of Nigeria.

These statistics however does not seem to have impressed the people and government of the state as the House of Assembly went ahead to invite the oil firm to its chambers to offer explanation on why it had to renege on an agreement reached with it.

The company was absent on the day it was billed to appear before the House. It however sent its regrets explaining the circumstances which made it impossible for it to appear before the legislators and sought for another invitation.

Exxon Mobil, in a letter signed by Joe Igenova, its Operations Manager explained that the company could not honour the invitation because it has already committed itself to another appointment.

It therefore pleaded for understanding just it asked for the rescheduling of the meeting. So, far it is not known if the House has fixed another date for the meeting. What is however obvious is the fact that the two week ultimatum has lapsed without any incidence, an indication that perhaps some level of understanding has been established.