Oil
Youths Shut Down Oil Firm In Akwa Ibom Over Remapping Dispute
Youths from Akwa Ibom, organized under the Forum of Youth Presidents in Mbo and the Obolo Youth Coalition, staged a protest at Universal Energy Resources in Unyenge, Mbo Local Government Area.
The protesters blocked access to the facility, effectively disrupting the company’s operations.
Comrade Edward Moses, the President of the Forum, spoke to both the protesters and the press, expressing his concern over Governor Udom Emmanuel’s restructuring of the State.
He criticized the governor for allegedly remapping the area solely to provide Onna, his own Local Government Area, with access to the Atlantic Ocean, considering it to be an illegal action.
In what he described as a feeble attempt to hide his ulterior motive of granting his hometown, Onna, unauthorized access to the ocean, Governor Udom Emmanuel, with the assistance of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, has reportedly transferred coastal territories belonging to Eastern Obolo, Ibeno, and Mbo Local Government Areas to landlocked local government areas such as Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, Eket, and Esit Eket.
“This action of Mr Udom Emmanuel is the worst form of greed, impunity and abuse of office ever perpetrated by a public officer. How on earth would the Chief Executive and Chief Security Officer of a State claim the State he has governed for eight years doesn’t have a map?”, he asked.
Speaking further, the youth leader said Akwa Ibom State was created in 1987 with well defined boundaries and has been governed by at least six military Administrators and four civilian Governors.
“Until the twilight of the Udom Emmanuel administration, no past Governor of Akwa Ibom State has been wilfully confused about the boundaries of this State.
“Every indigene of this State knows his Local Government Area of origin. It is only the Governor who doesn’t know those boundaries. This self serving law meant to further his expansionist agenda cannot stand. It is impunity taken too far”, he submitted.
Adding to the conversation, Comrade Austin Nkwobia, the President of the Unyenge Youth Association, voiced his opinion on the matter by expressing his belief that the Governor’s ambitions of using an unlawful legislation to “annex” a portion of his community were mere wishful thinking.
Comrade Nkwobia firmly declared that they would vehemently oppose any such endeavor, employing all available means to resist it.
“Everyone in Akwa Ibom State knows our community, Unyenge in Mbo Local Government Area shares coastal boundary with Ibeno Local Government Area. In fact, this coastline as shown in the official map sourced from the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation and severally published in official documents of Akwa Ibom State since 1987, starts from Eastern Obolo and links Ibeno, Mbo, Udung Uko and Oron Local Government Areas in that order.
“Suddenly, the Governor decided to shift ancient landmarks and distort our well known geography by shifting our age long neighbor, Ibeno away and replacing it with Esit Eket and Eket Local Government Areas in his federal constituency. If he likes, let him bring all the soldiers in Nigeria. This illegality won’t succeed”, he noted.
During the event, Comrade Joseph Antai, the Vice President of the Obolo Youth Coalition, criticized Governor Udom Emmanuel, stating that his forceful attempt to annex the ancestral lands of others portrayed him as an imperialist.
Comrade Antai described the Governor’s actions as provocative and warned that they had the potential to harm the state.
On a related note, Essu Nlap Oro, the overarching organization representing Oro youth, issued a stern warning to the State Government regarding the enforcement of the remapping law.
They alleged that the law had been passed and enacted without following due process, urging the government to refrain from implementing.
The President of the Association, Dr. Kiso Oboho delivered the warning during a press conference held in Oron on Wednesday.
He specifically addressed Pastor Umo Eno, the incoming Governor, urging him to distance his administration from any policies deemed oppressive and against the interests of the people, including the remapping law implemented by the Udom Emmanuel administration.
In a strategic move to revitalize Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has unveiled two key fiscal incentives aimed at attracting investment and enhancing energy security.
The announcement was made by Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Wednesday.
The first initiative, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Modification Order 2024, introduces critical exemptions for essential energy products and infrastructure, including Diesel, Feed Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, and Clean Cooking Equipment.
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These exemptions are designed to reduce living costs for Nigerians, promote energy security, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy alternatives.
The second initiative, the Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Oil & Gas Production, offers new tax relief options for deep offshore exploration projects.
This measure aims to position Nigeria’s deep offshore basin as a premier destination for international oil and gas investments, boosting the country’s appeal to foreign investors.
These reforms are part of a broader set of policy initiatives, known as Policy Directives 40-42, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directives reflect the administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable development in the energy sector and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global oil and gas market.
By Yemie Adeoye
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu has announced that the protracted ExxonMobil-Seplat upstream oil divestment will be formally approved by the Minister of petroleum within a matter of days, just as he announced his government’s intention to expand the Compress natural Gas, CNG buses initiative.
The President who stated this during his Independence day nationwide broadcast stated that the move is in line with his administration’s commitment to free enterprise, free entry and free exit in investments which is the hallmark of his administration investment policy.
“Fellow compatriots, our administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was done in the same manner as other qualified divestments approved in the sector.”
The President also seized the opportunity to plead with Nigerians to be patient with his administration’s reform policies. “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion. Our economy can only thrive when there is peace”. he enthused.
As part of the administration’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed support for ExxonMobil’s plan to invest $10 billion in the country’s deep-water oil sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, during a meeting with ExxonMobil executives at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Shettima called the investment “a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investor-friendly policies.”
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This announcement follows news that international maritime company DP World intends to develop a multibillion-dollar port project in Nigeria.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, shared the development in a statement on Wednesday. He quoted Shettima as saying: “ExxonMobil’s potential investment aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for a more investment-friendly Nigeria.
We are committed to fostering an environment that supports such transformative projects.”Shettima also discussed the administration’s broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business, highlighting the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to simplify bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and offer fiscal incentives to attract global investors.
“Our administration has taken bold steps to unify the exchange rate, remove fuel subsidies, and implement tax reforms. These measures, though challenging in the short term, are intended to create a stable and predictable business environment in the long term,” he added.
On the oil and gas sector, Shettima mentioned that the government is revising the fiscal framework for deep-water operations to attract investment while ensuring fair returns for the Nigerian people.
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