The Bayelsa State Government has directed the immediate disbursement of funds belonging to the Tarakiri Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) for the execution of infrastructural and social projects in the various member communities.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive on Thursday while presiding over a peace and reconciliation meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, involving the Tarakiri HCDT, and the Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, formerly Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo stressed that government’s directive was in the best interest of the affected communities, explaining that the inflationary trend in the country is daily depreciating the value of the unutilised funds meant for the development of the communities.
He, therefore, urged the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees to work out the modalities for disbursing the funds to the Tarakiri oil-bearing communities, which include Egbema-Angalabiri, Ofoni, Ayamasa, Agbere, Agbidiama, and Isampou.
Commenting on the communities’ grievances against the Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, including “deliberate short-changing of the Tarakiri HCDT”, the Deputy Governor appealed for calm as government would carefully look into the issue and address their concerns.
To this end, Senator Ewhrudjakpo directed the Chairman of the Tarakiri Host Community Development Trust, Mr Jeremiah Wareyai, to formally write to the state government furnishing it with all the necessary documentations and data for appropriate action.
His words: “Our attention has been drawn to the fact that the Tarakiri Host Communities Development Trust has some funds, but one or two communities are holding the Trust back. And we felt that cannot continue.
“So, we have convened this meeting so that we can agree that the money we have in that trust must be spent for development purposes in the communities that make up the trust. Any community that does not want to spend its share can keep it.
“That money must be spent because we cannot keep that money there now while our communities are lacking things that ought to be done. Some of the communities may need water, internal roads, light, or town halls or anything they want to do with their money.
“The longer those funds are kept in the bank, the more they depreciate in value because of the high inflation in the country. What we could have achieved with those funds two years ago, we cannot achieve today because prices of building materials have almost doubled between then and now.”
Also speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Michael Ogbere, lamented the plight of the host communities in the trust, alleging that the Renaissance Africa Energy Company, formerly known as Shell, has been short-changing the Tarakiri Host Communities in a number of ways.
He, however, accepted the state government’s directive to disburse the funds for the development of the communities.
In his contributions, the Pere of Tarakiri Clan, His Royal Majesty, King Seiyifa Koroye, thanked the state government for its intervention, and called on the Renaissance Africa Energy Company and the communities to always embrace negotiation and other activities that would promote mutual cooperation, peace and harmony.
Speaking on behalf of Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, the Corporate Relations Manager, Mr. Evans Krukrubo, said the company complied with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), and that over N5billion had so far been paid to the Trust.
Others who made contributions at the meeting include the BoT Chairman of the Tarakiri Host Communities Development Trust, Mr Jeremiah Wareyai; and the paramount rulers of Egbema-Angalabiri, Chief Israel Ogbolo, his Isampou counterpart Chief Edward Oyaotuderekumo and a member of the Tarakiri PIA Management Board, Hon. Selekebina Saboh.
