• Company rejects implication by Bayelsa govt, calls for retraction
•Land inspection not linked with incident, Ikei Ama group insists
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Amanyanabo of Dieama-Okpoama, His Royal Highness, Ingo Ikele Ikaba, has absolved Nembe Exploration & Production Company Limited of any blame in the communal conflict on the Ikei/Dieama axis of Brass Island, Bayelsa State, which resulted in the loss of life of 1 Mr. Alfred Ojoko.
Also, the oil firm has formally rejected its implication in the incident by the Bayelsa state authorities and has due to this fact demanded a direct retraction of a press release credited to the federal government.
Similarly, attorneys to Ikei Ama group, the alleged second get together in the dispute, have disclaimed any hyperlink to the October 19 violence, stressing {that a} land inspection carried out earlier had nothing to do with the eventual violence which led to the fatality.
In a press release, the Amanyanabo of Dieama-Okpoama, who described the deceased Ojoko, also called ‘heavyweight’ as his brother and private assistant, mentioned makes an attempt to hyperlink the land acquisition/lease course of being undertaken by Nembe to the loss of life have been inaccurate.
According to him, the land acquisition/lease course of commenced early final yr and had been progressing with out main incident, with each Dieama and Ikei communities cooperating to facilitate growth.
He disclosed that every one visits by the corporate to the realm have been with out incident, noting that there was the necessity to distinguish the land course of from the circumstances that led to his brother’s loss of life.
Instead, he pointed to the longstanding tensions in the group over black sand mining and unresolved land-boundary disputes. He acknowledged that this has nothing to do with the oil firm.
“I want to state unequivocally that this narrative doesn’t mirror the circumstances as I perceive them. For the avoidance of doubt, the land acquisition/lease course of commenced early final yr and, till the occasions in query, had been progressing with none main incident.
“Both the Dieama and Ikei communities had been cooperating in good faith with a common objective of facilitating the process and creating opportunities for meaningful development within our communities. It is also pertinent to note that the company had undertaken two previous visits to the area without any reported incident,” the monarch defined.
He urged the general public to chorus from selling unsubstantiated narratives that might misrepresent the details, unfairly implicate the corporate, or additional inflame tensions.
“In view of the foregoing, I consider it necessary to correct any attempt to attribute the death of my late brother and personal assistant to the land acquisition/lease process being undertaken by Nembe Crude Oil Export Terminal Limited (NCOETL) without a proper factual basis,” he mentioned.
Also, Nembe E&P has rejected its implication in the incident by the Bayelsa state authorities and demanded a direct retraction. The authorities had directed the corporate to droop all land acquisition actions and processes in the realm, following the incident.
In a press release, the corporate mentioned the directive by the Bayelsa authorities portrayed it as an actor in the incident and has occasioned reputational injury of indescribable proportion.
While extending condolences to the bereaved household, Nembe E&P insisted that it didn’t trigger, instigate or take part in the incident.
It acknowledged that whereas the state authorities has recognized no act or omission by Nembe which will have even remotely contributed to or engendered the confrontation, a website go to aimed toward a doable land acquisition by means of a proposal introduced to by a 3rd get together didn’t actually have a consultant of the oil agency.
The firm mentioned its inquiries indicated that the dispute involved opposition to black sand mining actions attributed to an organization referred to as Starant Mining Limited, additional compounded by unresolved disagreements over group management and management of sources.
Nembe additionally challenged what it described as a “blanket and indefinite suspension” of its land acquisition actions, noting that the federal government announcement recognized no breach, specified no period or evaluate mechanism and set out no statutory foundation.
“Whereas the state authorities has recognized no act or omission by Nembe which will have even remotely contributed to or engendered the confrontation, Nembe hereby states unequivocally that our solely involvement with the location go to/negotiation aimed toward a doable land acquisition was by means of a proposal introduced to us by a 3rd get together, with which now we have another ongoing transactions, and that certainly,we had no illustration on the crew.
“Furthermore, we can confirm that the visit was incident-free! Our subsequent inquiries indicate that the dispute concerned opposition to black sand mining activities attributed to a company known as Starant Mining Limited, compounded by unresolved disagreements over community leadership and control of resources,” it added.
Nembe E&P argued that the federal government can’t moderately disregard its personal prior intervention in the reported mining dispute whereas leaving unexplained its resolution to affiliate the corporate with the ensuing disaster.
“This shouldn’t be the primary event on which the state authorities has related our firm with an incident disconnected from its operations. An earlier allegation involved an incident greater than 200 kilometres from our acreage. The recurrence requires a proof.
“The authorities ought to disclose the proof underlying these associations and clarify why
Nembe continues to be drawn into incidents for which no connection to its operations has been established. We can’t be anticipated to simply accept repeated public statements that prejudice our repute whereas leaving their factual basis undisclosed,” it burdened.
According to the agency, the seriousness of a group disaster doesn’t relieve the federal government of the duty to justify singling out an organization for adversarial motion even when it has such common powers.
It lamented {that a} unsupported official affiliation with deadly violence, amplified by means of nationwide and worldwide reporting, can undermine confidence, disrupt business relationships and prejudice substantial private and non-private pursuits.
“The authorities ought to recognise the gravity of these penalties. Accordingly, we hereby demand that the Bayelsa state authorities unequivocally retract its announcement instantly, whereas we proceed to order all our authorized rights to guard our hard-earned repute and pecuniary pursuits.
“The retraction and withdrawal must be communicated publicly with prominence and circulation commensurate with the said injurious publication,” it identified.
Similarly, solicitors to the Amanyanabo of Ikei Ama, Okpoama Kingdom, HRH Ebi Spencer-Tekenah, the Tiefienyo Furo Family and the folks of Ikei Ama, have disclaimed any hyperlink to the violence.
In a disclaimer, the attorneys mentioned stories looking for to hyperlink their shoppers to the incident have been false. “For the avoidance of doubt, our clients categorically disclaim any involvement in, connection with, nor responsibility for the said incident,” the doc signed by Chief Eric Tekena-Ayeba Tonye of TEE Legal mentioned.
It acknowledged that the land inspection train carried out earlier by members of the Tiefienyo Furo household and representatives of an indigenous oil exploration firm was peaceable and had concluded a number of hours earlier than the incident.
“No credible factual basis has been established linking that exercise to the incident,” it mentioned.
The solicitors mentioned out there preliminary data regarding alleged unlawful black sand mining actions in the affected axis warranted correct investigation, and known as on the general public and media to desist from publishing unverified allegations.
“Our clients unequivocally condemn the loss of life and every act of violence. They support a thorough, impartial and professional investigation by the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities,” the assertion added.
