Iloma Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State says the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) lied to the National Assembly when it appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.   

A member of the Community and former Chairman of Bonny LGA, Abinye Alex-Hart told Kristina Reports on Saturday, July 27, 2024 in Bonny, Rivers State that the company was also frantically scuttling efforts by the House of Representatives to verify its claims of not having any activity in the area.

“We, through the Mangrove Forest Conservation Society of Nigeria, summoned them (NLNG) to the National Assembly and there at the National Assembly, Godson Dienye, a Manager in NLNG, who represented the MD, virtually denied that there was no such thing.”

Alex-Hart, a former Pro-Chancellor of the Alvan Ikoku College of Education, stated that Iloma Community is one of the 14 gas transmission system (GTS) communities of the NLNG, disclosing that there have been ongoing engagements between NLNG and the community consequent upon their facilities in the community.

“Based on that, the House of Representatives said that all of us – that’s NLNG, the community and them the National Assembly – will go for an on-the-spot assessment to assess and then – whether it’s a denial or things like that happened.”

“We have come here. We were given a date, a letter was written to that effect and sent to NLNG. We agreed and took this date but unfortunately NLNG came here after we have made all the security arrangements and scuttled the whole thing.”

“I was thinking they would have made adequate arrangement of their own security and logistics before now but they came and said no arrangement was made.”

He pointed out that the NLNG’s posture is in sync with those of other IOCs in Nigeria who would rather not subject themselves to environmental accountability, noting that though “the quest for environmental justice is not a sprint but a marathon, we are ready to follow through with the process”.

On his part, the Chairman of the Mangrove Forest Conservation Society, Dr. Akie Hart stressed that the case of Iloma Community is one that deserves justice, fairness and equity, noting that his organization and the community were ready to prove that NLNG’s activities actually debilitated the environment at Iloma.

He wondered why the NLNG after receiving the letter from the House of Representatives sequel to its agreement with other parties regarding the on-the-spot assessment will not make adequate arrangement for its staff to go for the visit.

On his part, the Legal Consultant to Iloma Community, Innocent Ekwu, accompanied the Environmental Consultant to the Community, Progress Worlu, stated that an excavation allegedly done by the NLNG in 1999, which environmental impacts were not ameliorated, led to a lawsuit by the community against the company.

Ekwu, who informed that the excavation work by NLNG has now rendered the community vulnerable to erosion, flooding and other adverse impacts, revealing that the company reneged on the out-of-court settlement it allegedly agreed to in court with the community, same as its obligations to the community consequent upon extant laws in the country regarding such activities.

He further stated that aside allegedly lying to the National Assembly about its activities in Iloma, the NLNG disrespected the national legislature by refusing to prepare for and go for the on-the-spot inspection after agreeing to it, pointing out that such conduct cast the company as not being a good corporate citizen”.

Enquiries by Kristina Reports to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) on the series of allegations against it by Iloma Community were yet to be responded to as at the time of this report.

Concerned watchers of the development have expressed worry that Iloma Community may never achieve environmental justice as the international oil and gas companies in Nigeria have consistently refused to subject themselves to environmental accountability, especially, with colluding public sector elements in play.