•••Vow to fight back legally and Spiritually, says enough is enough

By Matthias Ogbagah

DELTA – The Urhobo Oil and Gas Nationality, UROAGAN and entire Urhobo ethnic nationality has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the Managing Director of NNPCL, and the Chief Executive of Nigeria Upstream Petroleum regulatory commission to jettison the purported implementation of five newly established mini LNG plats in Kogi state.

UROAGAN in a press statement signed by its national chairman, Olorogun (Dr.) Obiuwevbi Ominimini Ph.D observed with dissatisfactions the exclusion of Urhobo nation that has the highest reserve of gas and crude oil in Nigeria from the proposed establishment of five new Mini LNG.

Lamenting the act of wickedness of the Oil and Gas exploration companies operating in Urhoboland, UROAGAN condemned the running of gas pipelines from Urhobo land to the five Mini LNG plants without Urhobo hosting any of the plants this is unacceptable.

“This is oppression to the Urhobo Nation, Urhobo ethnic nationality has the highest reserve of gas and crude oil in Nigeria but has nothing to show for it. Our children who turn out from the tertiary institutions yearly are roaming in the streets of Delta State with many ridding okadas while the children of the top class Nothernes who are not oil and gas producing states are being engaged into the oil and gas parastatals owned by Nigeria government. This is unacceptable.

“Our lands are polluted everyday by the activities of oil exploration, we can not farm our land or fishing in our rivers any longer as our environment has been destroyed by oil exploration activities.

“Urhobo land is even more devastated than the Ogoni Land, yet there is no environmental remediation or clean-up. The gas flare penalty paid by the IOCs to the federal government has no single benefit to the Urhobo people, yet the gas flare is a major source of diseases to our people. This is another evil against the Urhobo Nation.

While calling on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, NUPRC & NNPCL Chief executives to consider Urhobo Nation to host some or one of the Mini LNG plants, vowed that Urhobo nation will do all it can to fight back legally and spiritually if the marginalization and exclusion continue from the new Mini LNG plats.

“Urhobo has aboundat gas in Ugheli, Kokori, Orogun, Agbarha Otor, Evwreni, Otujeremi, Udu, Jesse, Oghara & Mosoga yet nothing to show as a host communities to the oil and gas companies.

“We shall act fast to put an end to all the evil plans against Urhobo nation if the federal government refuse or fail to include Urhobo Nation as one of hosting nation to the five Mini LNG plants.

“We have been taken for granted for too long in Nigeria. While those who have solid minerals, like gold, lithium, tin, columbite, iron ore, etc, are taking them for themselves, Urhobo oil and gas are being siphoned and the proceeds are used for the entire Nigeria. We can’t accept this injustice any longer. Enough is enough.

“One of the factors to be consider in establishment of industry is proximity to source of raw material, Urhobo has access to the sea with Sea port at Sapele and Warri, which is another source of transportation of the LNG for export purposes.

According to the press statement, Urhobo oil and gas Nationality, UROAGAN had in 2024 called on the federal government and NNPCL to establish LGN plants in Urhobo land, one at Ughelli north area and another one at Ethiope west local government area but no response only to hear of the 5 Mini LNG Plants at kogi with the gas to be taken from Urhobo Nation in Delta State and part of it to be taken from Edo state. We will not accept this daylight robbery.