The Bonny Kingdom Local Content Compliance Committee (BKLCCC) has accused the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited and the contractor handling the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of its Train 7 project, SCD JV (Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo Joint Venture) of neglecting its host community, Bonny Kingdom, as it attempts to kickstart early works and tie-in for the project.

The Nigeria LNG identifies Bonny Kingdom as its “core host” on its website where it is stated that “our core host is Bonny Kingdom. The Nigeria LNG plant is located in Finima; a community in Bonny Kingdom. Bonny Kingdom hosts other major NLNG facilities like the Water-Wells (in Abalamabie), the residential area.”

The committee, which was constituted by the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, CON, Perekule XI, stated that one year and four months after submitting its list of local contractors to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) through the Nigeria LNG, it was yet to receive a feedback on the approved list of contractors.

It, therefore, wondered where the Nigeria LNG and its contractor, SCD JV intends to source local contractors from.

“It is a thing of worry that for over one year and four months since the BKLCCC sent their list of indigenous contractors and their partners to NLNG for verification, more than half of the companies on the list are yet to be contacted to upload their documents for verification and till date no verified list of indigenous contractors and their partners has been forwarded to BKLCCC and SCD JV.”

The body further accuses Nigeria’s foremost gas company of stoking crisis in its host community by attempting to pitch certain sections of the community against each other and thereby engender internecine war in the kingdom.

“We know that NLNG has made some positive contributions in the Bonny Kingdom but that was achieved because they adhered to existing constituted traditional authority in Bonny Kingdom, but presently they seem to want to create disunity in our kingdom. They want to see us fight and kill one another but that will never happen.”

The body asserted that this situation was an act of disrespect to its chief host, the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, CON, Perekule XI, by trashing engagement guidelines availed it by the Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC), which the monarch presides over.

“What they expect us to do is to gather ourselves together and say we are going out against a particular house and let people die. That is what they want. If not the Amanyanabo-in-Council cannot give his word and a company that is on Bonny soil will decide to look at the Council in the face and to do otherwise.”

In a statement jointly signed by the Vice Chairman of the BCC and Supervising Chief of the BKLCCC, Se-Alabo Hanniel Jack-Wilson Pepple, and Chairman of the BKLCCC, Amaopusenibo Opuada Willie-Pepple, and made exclusively available to Kristina Reports over the weekend, the committee alleged that the Nigeria LNG was playing divide and rule tactics in its engagements in lieu of the startup of the Train 7 project.

It further alleged that the grand plan was to cunningly engage only one chieftaincy house, the Buoye Omuso (Brown) House while sidelining the other 34 Chieftaincy Houses, all of which were federating units of Bonny Kingdom.

“The actions of the Nigeria LNG was an egregious slight on its host community, Bonny Kingdom. Contrary to the directive given to the NLNG/SCD JV when they were introduced to the Bonny Chiefs’ Council, that the protocols in Bonny is that Bonny is one Kingdom led by the Amanyanabo-in-Council and the Council directs the affairs of the Kingdom, the NLNG in complete disregard of this advice, both orally and in writing, decided to lead SCD JV to pay a courtesy call on some persons in the Buoye Omuso (Brown) House of Bonny in the name of visiting Finima and met resistance from the Tobin House, also of Finima. This act of NLNG if not checked could lead to crisis in the Kingdom.”

“The way things are if the NLNG/SCD JV do not address this act of divide and rule tactic they seem to be applying they might have to visit the 34 Chieftaincy Houses that make up Bonny Kingdom, conclude discussions with them and when their demands are collated then we resume discussion, seeing that they have decided to treat with levity a system of traditional governance in Bonny Kingdom that predates the Nigerian State.”

The BKLCCC maintained that as a result of these drawbacks, it had pulled out of further negotiations with the Nigeria LNG and SCD JV, insisting that it would only return to the negotiation table when these anomalies were addressed and it receives further directive from its appointing authority.

But in an opposing reaction, the Nigeria LNG in a statement signed by its General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Eyono Fatayi-Williams, denied BKLCCC’s claims, stating that it holds the Bonny Monarch in high esteem and would not act in any manner to denigrate him or his office.

Fatayi-Williams came up with the official position for NLNG on Sunday in response to an email enquiry of Kristina Reports.

“NLNG states for the record that it holds the King of Bonny, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, JP, CON Perekule XI, Amanyanabo & Natural Ruler of Grand Bonny Kingdom, a respected first-class traditional ruler in Rivers State, in high esteem and maintains very cordial relationships with the King and Bonny Kingdom. The Company considers the community as a trusted partner and remains committed to the unity of the Kingdom.”

She further stated that local content development was at the core of its drive to successfully deliver its Train 7 project, stressing that it would continue to engage the community in its efforts at implementing the project in a peaceful and beneficial way to Bonny Kingdom.

“Sustainable development of Bonny Kingdom and local content development remain at the core of the Train 7 Project. NLNG is fully committed to delivering the Nigerian Content Plan of the project, in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in line with its vision to help build a better Nigeria.”

“NLNG will continue to engage the leadership of the Kingdom in its desire to ensure the successful execution of Train 7 Project in a manner that is both peaceful and beneficial to Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State and Nigeria.”

There has been some furore over the Nigeria LNG’s alleged engagement of Brown House in Finima Community, which is a part of the larger Bonny Kingdom. Finima has three chieftaincy houses, Tobin and Attoni, which are also part of Bonny Kingdom.

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that the successful delivery of Nigeria’s foremost gas company’s Train 7 project may be headed for the rocks if the issues raised by the BKLCCC, which are already said to be generating crisis, are not resolved properly.