Okey Sampson, Aba
Abia State is among the nine oil producing states. For the state touted as ‘God’s Own’ to be amid the honoured nine that lay the proverbial golden egg which keeps the country rolling economically, Owaza, a rustic and sleepy community in the Southwestern fringe of the state, has more than a dose of the accolade. It will not be out of place should one say that Owaza is blessed with oil and gas.
Owaza clan which seats forlornly on the east bank of Imo River at a point not quite far from where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean is made up of four equally despondent autonomous communities viz: Isi Etitioha, Ipu West, Igiri-Ukwu and Etitioha. All these communities bear oil in their quantum. These communities which lie in Imo River Oil Field is known to produce 98 percent of the oil which make Abia an oil producing state.
According to reports, Owaza, with her oil mining lease (OML) 11, is the largest oil producing on land where Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC is operating.
The two oil companies carrying out oil exploration in the area are Shell Petroleum and Development Company (SPDC) and Total Nigeria Plc. While Shell has been in Owaza since 1958, Total came two years ago.
However, instead of becoming a blessing, oil in Owaza, the people said, has turned out to be a curse. Narratives by natives of the area point to a high level of conspiracy between the two oil giants operating in their place to hoodwink them.
Eze Levi Nworgu, the traditional ruler of Etitioha Ipu Owaza Autonomous Community, said: “The natural gift God gave to us have been turned into curse by the officials of oil companies operating in the area who believe our lives mean nothing. We have always been hospitable and accommodating host, while they’ve been ungrateful and destructive guests.”
Going further, the monarch said: “Right from when Shell started operations here up till today, my people have been suffering untold hardship. We used to be largest producers of cassava within the South East region, but not anymore. Our farmlands are totally dried and barren as a result of gas flaring. Our rivers are polluted and the aquatic life gone.”
He spoke of high level of poverty in the mist of plenty.
“Our women cannot purchase a piece of wrapper. No water, no electricity, no good road. What do you think we should do? Keep quiet? We met the governor last year and he came down here. We all met Shell and Total. The governor asked them to go back and cooperate with us according to what we signed with them, but they’ve defied the directive from our governor, neglected our people and by doing that, it’s clear they don’t deserve to stay in this type of community.
“We are calling on federal and state governments to hear from us now, see us now and make sure anything that may lead us to violence is averted because it’s now our last option.”
The monarch said his people were living at death’s mercy due to gas flaring which has seriously impacted life expectancy in the area.
“Gas flaring by the companies operating in the area has killed many of my people and it’s still killing us. Just last year, gas flaring activities of the companies caused many deaths in the community.”
Another ruler in the area, Eze Obioma accused the two oil companies of conniving to dehumanise his people.
“We’ve written so many letters to the federal and state governments and nothing has happened. We want to experience the good things Belema Oil and Gas is doing in other OML 11 locations. Shell has been maltreating my people and Total is now the worse,” the monarch complained.
Youths of the area are of the opinion that for the mere fact they have been keeping quiet in the midst of the treacherous posture of the oil companies should not be seen as a sign of weakness. “My youths aren’t cowards to fight these oil companies, but we have been peaceful from on set. We’ve been calming them down assuring them that all is well, but current crop of youths now are seeing it differently. They now think we’re bribed into taking the peaceful route. When you begin to tell someone to be patient and he keeps believing you, a day will come when he’ll lose that patienc,” he further said.
The youths themselves who spoke through their leader, Austin Nwarie, criticised the two oil companies as terrible guests who value the peoples’ resources more than the people that gave them the resources.
Nwarie accused the oil companies of clandestinely conspiring with some people who he said were not from Owaza to make life miserable for them. He said the people were noted for peace, but warned that if nothing was done and fast too, they might be forced to go the way of other Niger Delta youths.
Efforts to get reaction from the spokespersons of the two oil firms were not successful. However, a senior official of SPDC who would not want his name in print because he was not authorised to talk to the press said they were surprised at the community’s allegation because in the past 10 years the company has not flared gas in the area.