By Franklyn ISONG
In my early sojourn in life, by the special grace of God, I had
opportunity to work in some foreign multinational oil companies,
including Saipem Contracting & Engineering Company, a subsidiary of
the Eni Group, an Italian oil and gas company that is working with the
Agip Oil Company, Shell, TotalFina Elf Nigeria Plc, Nigeria Liquefied
Natural Gas (NLNG) Bonny amongst others.
In order to place this
article on a sound footing, it would be better to build on the
foundation of my past experiences in oil multinational companies
operating within the shore of Nigeria.
Like I said at the
opening paragraph, I started my career in Saipem as a Safety
Officer/Safety Trainer, and ended up in the department of Community
Affairs, Safety, Health, Environment and Security (CASHES), working in
several onshore/offshore oil and gas projects across the Niger Delta
region, including the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project,
Finima Town - Bonny LGA, Rivers state, which my former employers
(Saipem) also played active role, before I voluntarily exited the
company in the late 1990s.
So I am well grounded on the
operational patterns of multinationals in Nigeria. I am vested with
their community relations policy thrust.
Because, whilst in these oil
and gas companies, and by virtue of the CASHES department that I served;
my responsibilities also included to oversee all community relations
issues and projects; and to ensure that my employers kept their part of
the corporate social responsibility with our host communities throughout
the projects.
This article, however, focuses on the recent
bullying and act of intimidating NNPC/ExxonMobil over the Eket-Ibeno
road project by the state government and its commissioner for works, Mr
Ephraim Inyangeyen.
Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), an
offshore multinational oil company, is the second largest producer of
crude oil in Nigeria, after Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
It began operations in Nigeria in 1955 as Mobil Exploration Nigeria
Incorporated (MENI). The company and its joint venture partner, NNPC,
operate over 90 offshore platforms comprising of about 300 producing
wells at the capacity of over 550 thousand barrels a day of crude,
condensate and natural gas liquids (NGL), spanning across 3,200 square
kilometres ( i.e. 1,200sq mi; 790,000 acres) within Akwa Ibom
territorial waters.
The Federal Government via NNPC has a 60 percent
share, while MPN has 40 percent share in the joint venture business.
As a concerned private citizen of Akwa Ibom state, and a journalist,
while I am not holding brief for MPN (now ExxonMobil) and without
sounding immodest, I can say that since coming into Akwa Ibom offshore
in 1961 through the joint venture partnership, MPN and its federal
government agency, NNPC, have tried to sustain an active community
relations programmes for their host communities.
I am aware that
as part of NNPC/ExxonMobil’s corporate social responsibility, they have
contributed immensely in these sectors: health, education, sports,
water supply, electricity, capacity development, skill acquisition
training, employment/empowerment of our people and roads construction
projects in Akwa Ibom State.
Even though, like Oliver Twist, I expect
them to do more, to ameliorate the harsh effects of their oil
exploration activities on our lives; and to end gas flaring, oil
spillage and protect our ecosystem.
As one, with vast knowledge
of how these federal government agencies and multinationals operate, at
least, in Nigeria; I can also state that nothing is new in
NNPC/ExxonMobil erecting a billboard advertising their N8b contributions
for the construction of the Eket- Ibeno road, whether the money was
embezzled by the administration that received it or the project
contractors.
But, everything is wrong for the state to publicly
unleashed verbal attacks on NNPC/ExxonMobil and their managements on
account of the billboard.
It is also barbaric and incisive for
the authorities to instruct that the NNPC/ExxonMobil billboard on the
Eket-Ibeno road project be demolished by youths of the area.
This action
can further promote hostility and youths restiveness against federal
government agency(s) and multinationals operating in Akwa Ibom State.
This is one action, I view as uncivilised and counter-productive in
this 21st century. It has painted a negative picture to the
international community and to sane Nigerians that the two years
administration of Mr Udom Emmanuel is specialising in bullying,
intimidating and fighting every federal government agencies and
multinationals operating in Akwa Ibom, under the guise of project
execution.
The other day (Sunday), I had cause to publish the
Part One of my article, titled: “NDDC ABANDONED PROJECTS: WHAT DOES UDOM
GOVERNMENT WANT?” refer.
It is still on the same issue of the
administration’s bullying and intimidating the present NDDC management
team and her MD, Mr Nsima Ekere over projects execution in the state.
It would be better if the handlers of the Udom Emmanuel’s government
bear in mind that this is not the first administration in Akwa Ibom
State since creation in September 23, 1987, and will certainly not be
the last.
Before now, we have had both military and civilian
governments. I stand corrected, if any of the past administration had
bullied, intimidated or fought any federal government agency or
multinationals in the state.
I stand corrected again, if any of the past
administration had spent several millions of the people’s collective
patrimony on frivolities; such as, sponsoring media attacks on the
management of federal government agency(s) and/or multinational
companies.
For the records, the most vocal administration we
have had, is the one led by Obong Victor Attah. But, as it were, the
administration never bullied, intimidated or fought development
partners, be it, federal agencies or multinationals.
Though, I never
agreed with Obong Attah’s style of governance, I supported his advocacy
for all oil and gas companies including MPN (ExxonMobil) to relocate
their operational headquarters from Lagos and Port Harcourt to Akwa Ibom
State.
This wasn’t bullying; it wasn’t fighting, but intellectual and
persuasive advocacy that gained popular acceptance of the generality of
Akwa Ibom people.
This singular struggle was devoid of pride, ego and
hatred for the multinationals, that was why it saw the unity of all Akwa
Ibomites across political party lines.
Of course, you could
image the economic boom that would have taken place if ExxonMobil and
the over 180 oil and gas companies operating within Akwa Ibom
territorial waters (offshore), had relocated to the state. So this was a
very popular and worthwhile advocacy to have embarked upon by the
state.
The unwarranted ego-driven media attacks unleashed on
federal government agencies and multinationals operating in the state by
the authorities and her appointees/proxies should stop, if we need
rapid growth and development in the state. Government cannot do it
alone! We need other development partners, be it, federal agencies or
multinationals.
The Udom’s administration should choose her
battles wisely, else it would be seen as an unfocused administration
only set out to antagonise development partners, instead of encouraging
cordiality and give peaceful atmosphere for development to thrive in the
state.
It is high time Udom -led administration focused on his
dreams to industrialise Akwa Ibom State; and to possibly consolidate on
the “uncommon transformation” programmes of his predecessor, Senator
Godswill Akpabio. As it stance, most legacy projects of the Akpabio’s
administration have been abandoned.
Finally, as Governor Udom
Emmanuel prepares to commission the Eket-Ibeno road project on May 29,
2017 (two weeks ahead), as part of achievements of his two years in
office, I congratulate him, in advance, and urge him to disappoint me
and other critics of his government, and be magnanimous to acknowledge
other development partners on the road projects; i. e., the N8b
NNPC/ExxonMobil contributions should be mentioned in his address on that
commissioning day!
• Franklyn Isong is a public affairs commentator
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