The Elders-In-Council of Ogwu-Ikpele community in Ogbaru Local Government Area has appealed to the Anambra State Government to intervene in what it called disrespectful manner in which Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company, SEEPCO, is operating in their community to avoid truncating the already existing peace in the state.
The elders who came out in their numbers with other opinion leaders during a meeting with SEEPCO at the office of the Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Barrister Anthony Ifeanya, demanded that SEEPCO should respect the laws of Nigeria and most importantly maintain smooth relationship with their host community.
Speaking through their solicitor, Barrister Osteen Igbapike, the Ogwu-Ikpele community elders noted that they came to demand the details of all the monies SEEPCO claimed it paid to the community and account number, as well as urgent election of a new President General for the community, as the tenure of the last PG, elapsed four years ago.
A representative of SEEPCO, Mr. Amaechi Aneke, who frowned at what he described as conflicting representatives from Ogwu-Ikpele community, affirmed that SEEPCO paid the community in 2022 and 2023, and had also transited from Global Memorandum of Understanding GMOU, to Petroleum Industrial Act, PIA.
Responding, Barrister Ifeanya, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Nkiru Nwankwor, promised full investigation into the matter, even as he implored SEEPCO, to furnish the ministry with details of monies paid to the community, including account numbers and list of members of host community trust fund.
Be the first to write a comment.