Your excuse is grossly deficient –A’Ibom replies ExxonMobil over HQ relocation

THE political and traditional leaders of oil producing local government areas in Akwa Ibom State have described the refusal by international oil company, ExxonMobil,to relocate its head quarters from Lagos to Akwa Ibom, as “grossly deficient, untenable and not even worth discussion.”

In a communiqué made available to the Daily Times on Tuesday and signed by the Paramount Ruler of Ibeno, Effiong Archanga, his counterpart in Eket, E.C.D. Abia, and the Head of Awa Afaha Clan, Onna local government area, Raymond Inyang, the leaders said there was no reason for the company to flout the federal government directive on the matter.

Mobil had said that the relocation was not achievable.

According to the company, Lagos was a better location to run its oil business, alongside its affiliates companies – Mobil Oil Nigeria and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd.

Mobil said the three companies, are managed by one lead country manager and that Lagos had better infrastructure to support the company’s businesses.

“Lagos offers each of those businesses a convenient and well-suited hub from which all three businesses can be efficiently conducted and coordinated by that manager,” the company said.

Responding, the leaders from Akwa Ibom said the company was just being scared of its atrocities.

According to them, the real reason Mobil has refused to move to Akwa Ibom was because it did not want its expatriates and senior workers to be affected by the hazardous environment caused by its years of oil production.

“They have refused to move because they know the level of destruction their operations have brought to the land and people of Akwa Ibom State,” they said after their meeting at the palace of the paramount ruler of Ibeno Local Government Area.

“They believe the environment is unsafe, health-wise for their senior staff considering the frequency of early deaths and reduced life span of the inhabitants of the area.”

Former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, also signed the document.
Essien, who is also a former House of Representatives member, is the chairman, Technical Committee on Mobil and Core Community Matters, in the state.

Other members of the technical committee who endorsed the communique are Etie Ben Akpan and Udo Bassey.

The chairmen of Eket and Onna local government areas, Joshua Ndioho and Frank Archibong, respectively also endorsed the communiqué.

Recently, a directive by the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, asked the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr, Ibe Kachikwu, to instruct international oil companies (IOCs) to relocate their head offices from Lagos to their respective states of operations.

In view of this, the leaders called on the federal government to enforce the directives.

The communiqué narrated how Mobil got to the state and the alleged disparity in growth between the company and its host communities and how a massive protest by the communities against the company in 1998 led to an agreement for a gradual movement of the company’s head office to Akwa Ibom.

The communiqué said that the agreement was abandoned immediately Mobil was taken over by Exxon to form ExxonMobil.
The leaders said infrastructure, such as the G.S.M. telephony and others like an international airport, are now available in Akwa Ibom, saying with the movement of federal agencies from Lagos to Abuja, Mobil should quit finding excuses not to relocate.