Reps probe sale of oil mining licence in Delta

THE House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Gas Resources to investigate the sale of Oil Mining Licence (OML) 26 by Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria in conjunction with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Adopting a motion sponsored by Leo Okuweh Ogor (PDP, Delta State), the House directed the committee to “investigate the entire transaction in view of vast deposit of untapped gas resources in the OML and the secret, fraudulent and illegal sale of OML 26 to First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Limited and make appropriate recommendations to the House within four (4) weeks.”

Defending his motion earlier, Ogor, who is the current Deputy Majority Leader of the House, drew the attention of his colleagues to that fact that:

“OML 26 comprised Ogini; Isoko Deep, Ofa and Ovo oil fields situated in Ozoro Kingdom, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State.”

According to him, the host communities of Ozoro Kingdom who by virtue of this privilege position are supposed to be aware and notified about any transaction concerning OML 26 were never informed of the sale and transfer of the oil fields.

Ogor lamented that the land-owners, families and host communities had suffered environmental degradation throughout and therefore ought to be given the right of first refusal.

He added: “Shell in conjunction with NNPC, without any notice to the public, land-owners, families and host communities, sold OML 26 to an unknown third party, called First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Ltd.

“The action of Shell has left the land-owners, families and host communities betrayed, dejected and deprived of full benefits of their rightful God-given natural resources.”

“First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Limited is owned by persons who have served in government in very high capacity and by virtue of the position they held has knowledge of the vast potentials of OML 26 and merely used their position to buy OML 26 against office etiquette.

“I want to inform this House that the deprived land-owners, families and host communities are vexed, agitated and are becoming very restive and the intervention of this honourable House is needed.”

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