LAGOS SEPTEMBER 19TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Fresh crisis is now looming in the Niger Delta as attempt by the authority of an indegenous oil company Seplat Petroleum Nigeria Limited to appoint one Chief Friday Omoragbon as the President of the Oil and Gas Community Forum under the Seplat Community Development Skill is now mounting tension in Oben Community a major oil producing community in Edo State.
Already, The Enogie of Oben, His Royal Highness Odoligie Ogiemwonyi has in a strongly worded letter dated August 24th 2015 re-endorse the candidacy of Princess Nomwengho Uhumwangho as the preferred candidate of the community for the post of the president of the Oil and Gas Forum.
In a previous letter dated 20th day of July, 2015, the Royal Father said the Oben Community where Seplat operates OMLS 4, 38 & 41 strongly recommends Princess Nomwengho Uhumwangho a former Commissioner of the Edo State Oil Producing Development Commission (EDSOPADEC) and as the preferred candidate of community for the vacant position of the President of the Oil and Gas Community Forum as it is turn of the Oben Community to do so.
In yet another letter dated the 10th of June, 2015 addressed to the Base Manager, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Sapele, entitled RE: THE PURPORTED INAUGURATION OF FRIDAY OMARAGBON PURPORTING TO REPRESENT OBEN COMMUNITY AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE OIL AND GAS COMMUNITIES FORUM UNDER SEPLAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SCHEME said “Be informed that the Enogie of Oben Community HRH, Odoligie Ogiemwonyi has instructed that the Community does not place any reliance on Friday Omoragbon parading himself as and the “to be” inaugurated President of the Oil and Gas Community Forum under the Seplat Community Development Scheme scheduled for the 12th day of June, 2015. We strongly advice that if Oben Commuity is not represent, there is no purported inauguration of Friday Omoragbon as President of the Community Forum hence an abrupt and immediate postponement of the inauguration.”
Investigation reveals that the Oil and Gas Community Forum which is tailored along the same line of an American Oil conglomerate Chevron Nigeria Limited is responsible for the development of the Oil and Gas Producing Communities in Delta and Edo State under the Seplat operational areas.
It was also discovered that it is the turn of Oben Community in Edo State to produce the president of the Oil and Gas Community Forum but rather accept the Enogie recommended candidate the oil company choose to install their stooge/cohorts as the president of the Forum which is today building tension in the once peaceful Oben Community.