The people of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to review the recent appointments into the Boards of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Bonny Gas Transport Company, both strategic business entities with vested interests of the Federal Government, with a view to assuring their stake in those business entities operating in their land.

Bonny Local Government Area is primary host to both companies but curiously no indigene of the area was appointed into any of the Boards as reconstituted. This is with the exit of the immediate past Chairman, Osobonye Longjohn, whose tenure has just ended.

Chairman of the Port Harcourt chapter of the Bonny Improvement Association (BIA), Professor Sodienye Abere made this call in a telephone chat with Kristina Reports at the weekend.

Prof. Abere stated that the BIA Port Harcourt chapter, at its August 2020 meeting, frowned at the fact that no son or daughter of Bonny Kingdom was considered for appointment into any of the two boards, stressing that the exclusion of Bonny Kingdom from the Boards of both companies spoke volumes of the disposition of the President Buhari led administration towards host communities of business entities with Federal Government interests.

“We cannot be inside water and soap is entering our eyes. The goose that lays the eggs must, as a matter of fairness and equity, also enjoy the benefits. It is unacceptable that the boards of the Nigeria LNG and the Bonny Gas Company were reconstituted and no Bonny indigene was part of them.”    

“It does not show the President as someone who appreciates the contributions of the Bonny people to the economic wellbeing of Nigeria, and, in fact, other communities also hosting businesses where the Federal Government has interests. Nigeria generates billions of dollars from NLNG, Shell, Mobil, and others operating in Bonny annually but yet Bonny Kingdom is excluded in key decisions in these entities.”

President Buhari recently approved the reconstitution of the Boards of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and the Bonny Gas Transport Company (BGT) with a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Edmund Daukoru as Chairman of both companies.

Prof. Abere, who is also the Chairman of the Bonny Environmental Consultants Committee (BECC), appealed to the President to consider reshuffling the Boards of the two companies with a view to doing the needful in assuring the stake of Bonny Kingdom in the Nigeria LNG and Bonny Gas Transport Company, pointing out that such move would adequately compensate for the peaceful and welcoming disposition of the Bonny people towards Federal Government interests.

“Let the President set aside the position of Chairman and one member position in both boards permanently for Bonny Kingdom. That is not too much to ask for as primary hosts of both companies. He should do it to compensate us for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere over the years for these businesses to thrive and be making billions of dollars for the Federal Government.”

This move, BIA insists would ensure equity, fairness, and inclusiveness for communities hosting business entities with the Federal Government’s vested interests, which bear the brunt of environmental degradation, health challenges and other negative implications of the activities of such businesses.   

Expectations were high among stakeholders that the position of Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria LNG would be retained for Bonny LGA, given its strategic role as primary host of the two companies.

But these hopes were dashed with the announcement of the appointments by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

Daukoru’s appointment is seen by many as compensation by his erstwhile Personal Assistant, Timipre Sylva, while he was the Minister of Petroleum during administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.