* Kachikwu, NNPC GMD
Oil Community Drags SEPLAT  Before  NNPC
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By Monday  EBALU, Benin City

The people of Oben in Edo state have dragged the SEPLAT Petroleum
Development Company Limited before the Nigerian National Petroleum
Company, NNPC over the lingering crisis in the oil community. SEPLAT
currently operates OMLS4, 38 and 41

The traditional ruler of Oben, HRH Odolighe Ogiemwonyi in a statement
issued at Oben, Orhionmwon local government area of Edo state  said
the SEPLAT management has remained adamant despite repeated appeals
through letters rejecting the community’s earlier nominee on the Oil
and Gas Communities Forum of the oil company.

The ruler said that the community had a rethink about its earlier
nominee, one Chief Friday Omoragbon as its representative on the forum
and instead replaced him with Princess Enoboingho Uhunmwangho, in a
series of letters from his Palace.

He said SEPLAT has by its action violated the GMOU the community
signed with it which amongst others, required that the oil company can
only accept an accredited nominees of oil communities into the forum.

According to him, “Such nominees are sent on behalf of the community
by the Traditional ruler and so I have done but rather than doing the
needful SEPLAT has not only accepted the Oben community rejected
nominee but approved his election as the chairman of the Forum”.

HRH Ogiemwonyi said Omoragbon who is one of his many chiefs as the
Enobore of Oben, “ has  also been relieved of his traditional office
and as the community’s representative for ten years, ordered to give
the community  a detailed statement of account forthwith”.

Efforts to contact SEPLAT failed while Chief Omoragbon denied
allegations that he was at the centre of the “dispute between SEPLAT
and Oben community” arguing that there was no such dispute, “to the
best of my knowledge”.

He also said that contrary to the insinuation that he was representing
Oben on the SEPLAT forum, based on his experience over the years, four
neighboring communities around Oben actually nominated him as their
representative and even elected him as the forum chairman in a free
election.

Omoragbon said he was in good terms with his traditional ruler and
would not do anything that would bring his highly revered name and
reputation to ridicule even as he blamed idle persons in Oben for
fanning embers of crisis where there is none.