Petroleum Commissioner Assures Accugas’ Host Communities

 

UYO 

 

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Dr John Etim, has assured stakeholders from host communities of Accugas of the company’s commitment to the smooth and effective take-off of the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). 

 

Accugas, a subsidiary of Savannah Energy, operates the Uquo gas field in Esit Eket.

 

Etim gave the assurance on Wednesday, last week, during a meeting with the stakeholders at the Signature Hotel, in Uyo, to educate them on the provision of the PIA 2021, in respect to the establishment of the HCDT.

 

He commended the management of Accugas for seeing the need to liaise with critical stakeholders thereby showing good fate in the implementation of the provision of the PIA.

 

The commissioner enjoined the stakeholders to pay attention to the presentations, bare their minds and ask relevant questions.

 

He advocated the need for the stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the PIA in order to avoid being shortchanged during the setting up of the boards and other organs of the HCDT.

 

Etim admonished all oil companies to have due diligence during the appointment of members into the Boards of Trustees and other organs of the HCDT.

 

He called for nomination of people with high integrity, intelligence and capacity from the host communities or Akwa Ibom at large into all the organs of the HCDT,

 

Welcoming the stakeholders to the meeting, the Regional Manager of Accugas, Mrs Nkoyo Etuk thanked the State government for the conducive environment to operateand expressed gratitude to the commissioner for the enlightenment workshop on PIA.

 

She stated that Accugas has contributed about 10% of power transmitted to the National Grid through gas supply to Ibom Power Company and Nigerian Integreted Power Plant in Cross River State. 

 

Etuk added that their pipeline network traverse 19 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State and two in Cross River State. 

 

She explained that the PIA was to help foster prosperous community development programmes, noting that all operators are expected to work with the PIA for the betterment of the host communities.

 

Responding, stakeholders from the 19 LGAs bared their minds on critical issues bothering on the PIA and appreciated the company for the template in ensuring that each pipeline LGA is represented either in the Board of Trustees, management or advisory committees.