Dr Ominimini Obiuwevbi
By Jon Egie
There is a huge endowment of natural resources—-oil and gas, in almost in every kingdom of Urhobo land. But regrettably, there is a negligible level of infrastructure and human capital development visible in the area.
The situation has become a cause of worry for the Urhobo people, residents in Delta Central geopolitical area, stakeholders and various interest groups.
They are conscious of the potentiality of Urhoboland in terms of oil and gas production as well as human capital capacity contribution to national development. Their belief in and commitment to the Social Contract of the Nigeria Project make them cast aspersions on the sincerity of State actors in the matter and hence, seek who to lay the blame of inadequate infrastructure and human capital development in Urhoboland, on.
Another vantage economic opportunity endowed on the people is the vast stretch of arable land across the eight local council areas of the senatorial district.which could amply support and sustain impressive Return on Investment (ROI) in agribusiness, especially at this period of national economic hardship leading to high cost of living and expensive food items particularly Garri that now sells close to N4,000 a basket. An intelligent investment in that area would have mellowed the pains of hunger and starvation most families now go through. Regrettably, none of the council Chairmen across the district, since 1999 till date, saw that light.
Like full time housewives, their dependency had been on the revenue derived from the over 304 oil wells littered across the various oil producing communities in Delta Central on which basis they stretch hands to collect monthly Federal allocation that is commensurate to the quantum of oil production in their local areas.
Findings of a physical verification exercise carried out by an interest group, Urhobo Oil and Gas Nationality (UROAGAN) which is currently on an awareness campaign across the 22 kingdoms of Urhoboland, show the distribution of oil Wells thus: Eriemu (24), Agbon (26), Evwreni (19), Jesse (17), Oghara (19); okpe , including Orerokpe and Sapele (84), Olomu (31), Orogun (21), Udu (43), Ughelli (57) and Ughievwen (20).
All the stated oil Wells are running and in full production capacity and hence, generating revenue from oil and gas to the national treasury but again, regrettably, the macroeconomic impact on the lives of the people is not visible.
As at April 2024, Nigeria oil production output averaged 1.28mbd (OPEC, 2024) out of which, Delta State oil production contributed 346,000 (Lekoil, 2024) and UROAGAN claims that Urhobo alone produces 40 per cent of the total 346,000mbd approximating 138,400bpd and translating to about N16,309,927,920 (Sixteen billion, three hundred and nine million, nine hundred and twenty-seven thousand, nine hundred and twenty naira) in the present day forex value with the cost of a barrel of oil taken as $82.41
In spite of this potentiality, a sharing formula that did not recognise Urhobo as the highest oil producing ethnic Nationality in Delta State was imposed on the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) during the administration of ex Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan even though there was no physical or documentary evidence to justify the decision.
“There is no single document anybody can show, be it a paper from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), a Memo from the Governor’s Office or a Resolution from the House of Assembly; that supports that formula. It was done by fiat.” Dr Ominimini Obiuwevbi, Chairman of UROAGAN complained.
He also lamented that every year and over the years, there has been no significant consideration of Urhobo sons and daughters in award of scholarships by Petroleum Trust Development Fund, PTDF to study overseas but children whose parents have no accenstral heritage to oil producing communities in Nigeria benefit from the scholarship scheme. To add to the throes, he further lamented the dearth of Urhobo people in management cadre of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) or any of its strategic business unit, ” Rather, casualization has become the employment module for Urhobo people but we reject it.” Ominimini said.
Who takes the blame ?
Dr Ominimini places the blame on all stakeholders, including his interest group. UROAGAN, that had not been able to fight for their right in the past to get what they deserved in the scheme of things.
He also located the blame on the Delta State government, especially the administration of the immediate past Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa who he alleged, received humongous amount of money via 13 per cent oil derivation without equivalent tangible infrastructure development in Urhoboland for the eight years he was in office as Governor.
“In eight years of Okowa infrastructure development was concentrated in areas that do not contribute much to Delta State economic potential leaving Urhobo urban towns of Ughelli, Abraka, Effurun and Sapele relatively undeveloped.
He also alleged that Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as governor, starved DESOPADEC almost to a state of coma and thereby emasculated and rendered the commission incapable of performing its statutory interventionist role in the development of Urhobo oil producing communities .
To also share in the blame was the leadership and people of Urhobo who for lack of unity in the past, failed to tackle the Federal Government in bringing the dividends of democracy from the National level to the homefront and hence, UROAGAN has risen to the occasion and thrown down the gauntlet to bridge the gap
Appeals
Championing the cause, UROAGAN called on relevant interventionist agencies and authorities such as the NDDC, PTDF, Ministry of Niger Delta, Federal parastatals like the NNPCL and its strategic oil and gas business units, NAPIMS and NGC to consider the Urhobo nation in the conceptualization and implementation of government policies and programmes like employment and projects.
UROAGAN made a special appeal to the incumbent Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori to, “fund DESOPADEC in line with the provision of DESOPADEC Law which states that 50 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation fund shall be given to DESOPADEC for the development of the oil producing communities.
For the comfort of the Urhobo people in accessing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT to pursue individual and collective life goals, UROAGAN added voice to the lower chamber of the National Assembly that has passed a motion on the need to execute the contract for the extension of the rail line from Itakpe to Abuja, which was sponsored by Revd Francis Waive, member representing Ughelli North, Ughellli South and Udu Federal Constituency and called on President Bola Tinubu to kindly accent to the Bill in due time.
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