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Ibeno demands transparency in PIA implementation and host community benefits
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Council seeks greater youth participation, local content opportunities, environmental protection
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EMR pledges sustained engagement with oil-producing and maritime communities
September 12, (THEWILL) – The Ibeno Local Government Council of Akwa Ibom State has called for greater transparency and inclusiveness in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), particularly processes and benefits targeted at oil-producing and host communities.
The council also demanded increased government and industry attention to youth empowerment, local content participation, environmental protection, community development and opportunities arising from Ibeno’s strategic position in the state’s oil and maritime economy.
The Executive Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Council, Deaconess Glory Ekah Effiong, made the call on Friday when she received the delegation of the Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR), Akwa Ibom State Branch, during the association’s Core Oil Communities Tour of Ibeno.
The engagement brought together the council and energy and maritime reporters to discuss the challenges confronting the oil-producing and coastal community, as well as opportunities associated with oil and gas operations, maritime activities and the emerging blue economy.
Issues discussed included local content development, environmental protection, oil spills, youth empowerment, host community relations, community development and greater participation of indigenes and residents in economic activities within the area.
Effiong commended EMR for undertaking the tour, describing it as an initiative capable of strengthening understanding and cooperation among government, communities, the media, industry operators and other stakeholders.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that structures and processes established under the PIA were implemented transparently and inclusively, particularly where they were designed to benefit oil-producing communities.
The council chairman further appealed for increased attention to Ibeno’s developmental needs, especially youth participation, local business opportunities and community development.
According to her, Ibeno’s contribution to the oil economy and its coastal location should translate into greater economic opportunities and improved living conditions for its people.
She urged government and other relevant stakeholders to support initiatives that would enable Ibeno indigenes and residents to participate more meaningfully in the economic activities taking place within the local government area.
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The EMR State Chairman, Comrade Harrison Ndifreke, said the association embarked on the Core Oil Communities Tour to obtain firsthand knowledge of the realities confronting communities at the heart of Akwa Ibom’s energy and maritime economy.
Ndifreke said the visit was anchored on the need for the media to listen to stakeholders, understand their concerns and report developments in a factual, balanced and responsible manner.
He noted that Ibeno occupied a strategic position in the energy and maritime landscape of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria as a major oil-producing and coastal community.
According to him, the community’s strategic importance comes with enormous economic potential, but also peculiar challenges relating to oil and gas operations, environmental sustainability, host community relations, maritime activities and the development of the blue economy.
He said EMR’s responsibility extended beyond reporting events to facilitating informed conversations among government, industry operators, host communities and other stakeholders.
“We are here to listen, to understand and to report responsibly,” Ndifreke said.
He explained that the association was particularly interested in understanding the impact of oil and gas activities on the community, environmental concerns, local content participation, youth opportunities, maritime development and the prospects of the emerging blue economy.
Ndifreke added that EMR would also highlight positive initiatives and opportunities in Ibeno, noting that responsible journalism should not only expose challenges but also showcase solutions, progress and development prospects.
He assured the council of the association’s commitment to balanced, factual and responsible reporting, stressing that the media had a role to play in building bridges, deepening understanding and promoting constructive engagement among stakeholders.
A community stakeholder, Chief Effiong Ette, called on Government to move beyond promises and ensure that Ibeno derives tangible benefits from the oil and maritime activities taking place within the area.
Ette, who spoke exclusively to THEWILL during the visit, called for stronger implementation of the PIA, greater transparency in the management and delivery of host community benefits, youth empowerment and deliberate inclusion of local businesses in the oil and gas value chain.
He said the community expected government and industry operators to create practical opportunities for young people through training, employment, entrepreneurship and other forms of economic participation.
“We expect government to make Ibeno a real beneficiary of its oil-producing status. Our youths should have access to training, employment and business opportunities, while our local businesses should be deliberately integrated into the value chain,” Ette told THEWILL.
The Core Oil Communities Tour is an initiative of the EMR Akwa Ibom State Branch aimed at engaging communities, documenting developments, identifying challenges and opportunities, and promoting constructive dialogue among government, industry players, host communities and other stakeholders in the state’s energy and maritime sectors.
