Akwa Ibom community, oil firm disagree over cult funding
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Grace Udoh Uyo
The village head of Idung Udoette Oniok under the Edo group of villages in the Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Prince Henry Abia, has raised the alarm over threats to the lives of his subjects by a cult allegedly recruited by Frontier Oil.
But in a swift reaction, the oil firm dismissed the claim and called on members of the public not to pay attention to it.
Abia alleged in statement in Uyo on Thursday that the company was funding the group and using it as a strike force to harass, destroy and molest innocent young men and women whenever there were contending issues between it and the host community.
He said the relationship between the firm and the community degenerated in 2016 when an oil spill was discovered, adding that since then, there had been a series of clashes between them.
Abia added that the recent clash occurred when the oil firm acquired land for the right of way of its gas pipeline and failed to pay compensation to the people for their farmlands, fish ponds and other things that were destroyed.
He alleged that when the people complained, the oil firm recruited thugs to terrorise the community on a daily basis.
He called on the federal and state governments to declare a state of emergency in the area to address insecurity posed by the activities of the cultists.
The statement partly read in part, “There was oil spill sometime in 2016 in the Esit Eket Local Government Area. The Frontier Oil denied until it was taken to the Senate before it accepted that it would pay. It has not paid till this day.
“Recently, Frontier Oil acquired land for right of way for a gas pipeline. Many people had farmlands, fish ponds, sanctum and mills along the right of way. The company has not compensated them and sensing that the people were not happy, it recruited, trained and empowered cultists to terrorise whoever will dare complain.
“By so doing, the people, chiefs and elders are exposed to threats and other forms of perilous attacks, which are causing them sleepless nights.”
Abia recalled that on December 9, 2019, when the people staged a peaceful protest against the company, Frontier Oil allegedly unleashed its squad against them and the security agents, who were drafted to maintain peace during the protest.
He said the cult members broke into his palace and destroyed property estimated at several millions of naira and damaged other people’s houses.
Reacting to the allegations, the Public Affairs and Community Relations Officer, Frontier Oil, Mr Sam Atara, described the claims as unfounded and false, and urged the public to disregard the allegations.
Atara described Frontier Oil as a corporate organisation with a subsisting Memorandum of Understanding with it host communities, adding that the allegations were being spearheaded by a few members of the community.
“Frontier Oil is a corporate organisation with a subsisting Memorandum of Understanding with it host communities. The allegations are unfounded and false, and are spearheaded by one or two members of the community. Disregard these as untrue,” Atara said in a text message sent to our correspondent.