By WISDOM ONIEKPAR IKULI

The Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Project which is worth over Three Billion, Six Hundred Thousand ($3.6) Dollars was conceptualized many years ago by the Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Limited.

The Bayelsa State Government on its part graciously allocated 595 acres of land at Odioma Community in Brass Local Government Area to the company for the massive project which has Ammonia, Methanol and Gas Processing plants as components. As at today, the great people of Odioma Community have created the enabling environment and atmosphere for the smooth take off of the project. The land already allocated is also more than enough to accommodate the three giant plants, thus there is no need to relocate any component of the project to any other place.

In order to show its sincerity and commitment, the State Government went a step ahead to sign a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to the company to avoid any hindrance.

Few weeks ago, precisely on 2nd February, 2021 the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) alongside other critical stakeholders signed the First Investment Decision (FID) which is a key component preparatory for the smooth take off cum commencement of this transformational project.

In all of the above, the Bayelsa State Government has always played strategic roles knowing the positive impacts of the project in terms of revenue it will generate to the state, thousands of direct and indirect Labour it will create and above all, the project will help to change the economic prospect and fortune of the state because it will make the economy to boom and also put our great state on the World Map especially among comity of oil and gas Producing states/countries.

It is worthy to note that from the onset, Bayelsa State Government had Ten Percent (10%) Equity (Share) as a critical stakeholder. All documents about the conceptualization, design up to the maturity of the project indicates that Bayelsa State maintains 10% Equity as a critical stakeholder.

It is therefore very surprising and unacceptable for NNPC to come up recently to say Bayelsa State has lost its 10% Equity, the same way NNPC announced the revocation of the Bayelsa State-owned Atala Marginal Oil Field to who God knows.

Individuals most of whom are not even from the Niger Delta own two to three Oil Wells but Bayelsa State where Crude Oil and Gas was first discovered at Oloibiri-Otabagi in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state in 1956 does not have right to own Oil Wells and Fields that are in its domain and territory. This is a great insult on the sensibilities of Bayelsans and the people of the Ijaw nation.

This negative development should be a great thing of concern to all sons and daughters of the Ijaw nation because it is becoming very obvious that there is a grand conspiracy and a strong gang-up somewhere and by some highly placed individuals to keep the Ijaw nation in perpetual servitude.

Who in his or her right senses will say he or she is blind to the ongoing environmental and economic genocide that is presently waged and carried out against our great people?

Look at the level of mindless, misguided pollution, devastation and degradation of our once beautiful, rich and very fertile environment, a sad development that has resulted in the total destruction of the ecosystem including wild and aquatic life, the flora and fauna.

Who will pretend not to know the decades of oppression, repression, suppression, subjugation, marginalization, deprivation and total neglect?

At this point I wish to urge all great sons and daughters of the Ijaw nation and great men and women of goodwill to rise up and speak against this injustice that is capable of plunging the entire Niger Delta region into another round of unrest.

Bayelsa State which is the CRADLE OF CRUDE OIL AND GAS WEALTH IN THE WHOLE OF WEST AFRICA does not in any way deserve the shameful, pitiable and painful treatment that is meted out to her.

Bayelsa State in this age and time will never be an ordinary spectator in this multi-billion dollars project. I therefore urge agents and facilitators of the above project to have a rethink because by the provisions of the Land Use Decree of 1978 which stipulates that all land belong to the government which hold same in trust for the public, the state has right to determine what it's land should be used for. The above simply implies that the government allocates land to individuals and corporate entities based on the objectives of interested parties.

The above provision of the Decree vested all lands on the State Governor who has right to ALLOCATE or REVOKE such land titles whenever the needed arises.

No government anywhere will allow herself to be fooled and I am very optimistic that Prosperity Governor Douye Diri will rise up to the challenge of defending the 10% Equity Share of the state. While we need investments and development, such must not be at the expense and detriment of our great people who based on the present arrangement are seen and treated as MODERN SLAVES.

I say this because for too long, the Federal Government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) have taken Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw nation for granted.

Finally, I wish to urge agents and facilitators of NNPC to tell NNPC to recede the decision to take over the 10% Equity Stakeholder because they should know that Bayelsans are not fools and they will resist such broad day light manipulative, deceitful and divisive tendencies with everything within our disposal and the consequences shall be very unpleasant.

Let us remember the saying that “A stitch in time saves nine”.

•Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli a.k.a Mirror and Conscience of Society, sent this piece from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

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