Akwa Ibom communities end feud, form oil committee

After several years of feud and litigation, communities in oil-bearing parts of Oron, Akwa Ibom, have resolved the dispute.The two rival groups in the area-- Oron Public Relations Committee (OPRC) and Oron Petroleum and Environment Committee (OPEC) -- have also been collapsed into one committee that would liaise with oil companies and government agencies on community issues.Chief Etim Antai, the Chairman of Oron Nation Oil and Environment Committee (ONOEC), the new central committee for the communities, made this known recently when speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Oron.Antai said that the communities had resolved to work together in their dealings with oil companies operating in the area, adding that members of ONOEC, which has negotiation, project implementation and monitoring sub-committees, were drawn from the defunct rival groups.``An Oron High Court presided by Justice Archibong E. Archibong, has declared ONOEC as the only body authorised to represent and negotiate on behalf of Oron communities on all issues.``The communities are in Oron, Okobo, Mbo, Idung Uko and Urue Offong/Oruku local government areas; ONOEC has the mandate to discuss, on behalf of these communities, all development matters for the benefit of all Oron people.''Antai recalled that Oron Union, the apex socio-cultural organisation in the area, played a mediatory role after the court judgment and reconciled the feuding parties.He noted that the restructuring of the rival committees and factions in the area into one grouping would also make it easier for oil firms to deal with the host communities.He said that the new committee had already articulated the needs of the people, in readiness for a dialogue with the oil firms.Antai, however, called on the oil companies to cooperate with the committee in efforts to attract development to the coastal communities in Oron.He assured the Oron people that the committee would encourage the oil firms to contribute to the development of their communities, in line with the people's expectations.``We will work hard to stimulate the rapid development of our area, as it is being done in other areas where oil is produced,' Antai said.
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