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FEBRUARY 26, 2007 VOL. 20. NO 20

Internal Dissent

**Governor Peter Odili, Executive governor of Rivers State**

Omoku community, the single largest oil and gas producer in Rivers State, is torn apart over a N2.03billion contract for the canalisation of its river
By Lawson Heyford, Omoku / Port Harcourt
With about 66 oil wells alone, Omoku community in Ogba / Egbema / Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State is undoubtedly the largest single producer of oil and gas in Rivers State. The oil majors: Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC); Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Totalfina Elf Oil combined produce about 40 per cent of crude oil and 90 per cent of gas from Omoku Town alone, a distance of about 60 kilometres from Port- Harcourt the state capital. But following years of oil exploration and exploitation in the area, the Omoku River which empties into the great Orashi River and provides a means of transportation, drinking water, thriving fishing business and recreation for the people of the LGA, has been adversely affected.
The consequence in that the base flow from two fresh water springs and a canal ceased, resulting in the river being deprived of a flushing storm flow which compels it to have still deposits accumulate and gradually block stream. In effect, the river became a largely static body of water increasingly polluted by catchment inflows of domestic sewage, storm water and solid wastes, excessively silted and covered with water hyacinth. As a result, the health of the people was continuously put in danger while they remained impoverished by the destruction of the fishery. The Omoku River is, instructively, said to be owned by the Agwolo family through a court judgment of 1984.
Concerned about the development, the Omoku River Administration (ORA) formed in 1999, held series of consultations and resolved that the solution to their problem was the canalisation and dredging of the famous Omoku River, which had been on their front burner for the past 20 years. Several unsuccessful attempts had been made to get the project started, even through the defunct Oil Minerals Producing Areas Commission (OMPADEC). But late last year, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), came to the rescue of the community by formally awarding a contract to an indigenous firm, Bedone International Nig. Ltd., Port Harcourt to do the job at the cost of N2,030,831,901.
According to the contract paper ref. No. NDDC/EDP/RIV/PR/143 of September 15, 2006 and signed by the Commission’s Executive Director, Projects, Beniah E. Ojum, an engineer, the project is billed for completion within 40 weeks. The commission also engaged the services of the Institute of the Environment Ltd., a Port-Harcourt- based outfit, to act as consultants for studies and design of the project. Both the contracting firm and the consulting company have since written to the management of the NDDC accepting the offer within the seven days required by the various contract letters. In addition, the contracting firm received the mandatory 25 per cent of the contract sum, amounting to about N500million for effective mobilisation to site after signing the relevant contract agreement. The Managing Director of the company, Elemchuku Ogbowo, is notably the State Commissioner for Commerce and an indigene of Omoku community. He was also a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
But the Omoku River Administration (ORA), was to receive the news of the contract award with mixed feelings, saying that the process was in total disregard to its earlier stand on the project. The ORA in a letter addressed to the chairman, NDDC Board of Directors and dated September 7, 2006 recommended that the contract for the canalisation project be awarded to a “foreign first- class water based company” because of the technicalities involved.
In addition, the letter signed by the Executive Director of ORA, Pastor Anthony Osima, stated that such a company would be expected to liaise with it, the NDDC and the State government to ensure proper project monitoring, evaluation and execution.
When it became obvious that NDDC was poised to jettison its advice on the project and proceeded to award it to their son, ORA protested to the Managing Director of the commission in a letter dated November 15, 2006.
Osima said in the letter entitled “ Re-Canalisation of Omoku River – Petition Against Illicit Award of Contract”, that “for the execution of this project to be successful, it is important that you take our objections seriously and do what is the most reasonable decision in the Omoku River project. But, if now, we agree to this award, it only explains our powerlessness in this circumstance and our inability to change things, but not that your decision is right”.
Four months after the contract was awarded, the contracting firm, The Source gathered, is yet to mobilise to site as a result of stiff opposition from members of the community who are now divided into two groups. While one group feels Bedone International Nig. Ltd. is grossly incompetent and lacks the needed equipment to dredge the river, the other group brought ethnic sentiment into the matter, saying that so long as the company is owned by an indigene, due process could be avoided. The opposition group, however, insists that due process was not followed and challenged NDDC to show evidence of calls for tender or bidding for the project.
Osima, in fact, told The Source that although he had nothing against the indigenous company, his concern is the proper handling of the job. According to him, if Bedone is allowed to execute the project, it would be the fourth time the dredging and canalisation of the river is being wrongly awarded, with a possible negative effect of pushing the river into extinction. According to him, the contracting firm has no bias for dredging and canalisation and challenged it to produce the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the project. Elders Francis Emordi and Fidelis Okoroma, president of Agwolo family, owners of Omoku River also called for concerted efforts to save the river from going into extinction, and warned against the imposition of an incompetent contractor on the community.
In the interest of peace and desire for a good job, Emordi advised the contracting firm to liaise with the authorities of ORA to resolve the issues amicably. The Source learnt that it was the management of ORA that prepared the feasibility study and surveyed the creek before handing it over to the NDDC for approval. A member of the Rivers State Agency for Re-orientation, Integrity, Service and Ethics (ARISE), Elder Nathan Ugorji on his part said that Bedone Ltd. is not capable of executing such highly technical job and so alligned himself with the suggestion of ORA that a foreign competent water- based contractor be awarded the job.
For a housewife and an indigene of Omoku, Mrs. Ego Wilson, the indigenous contractor “lacks the technical, engineering and structural capacities to handle the canalisation of the Omoku River. It lacks the required experience in this field”.
ORA had in one of its letters to the NDDC explained that it had contacted some international bodies including the European Commission; The World Health Organisation (WHO); the German Ministry for Economic Development, BMZ Bona and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, United Kingdom to show interest in the development of the River. That is probably why he said, Onwusameka Sonny Ogbawnokara, chairman of ORA warned that no local and inexperienced contractor would be allowed to execute the project.
A study conducted on the request of the United Kingdom Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) in 2001 estimated that the Omoku community has been losing 48, 400 euros per annum as a result of the degradation of the Omoku River.
The Chief Priest of Erisi, the deity that animates the River, Nwobo-kuruohna Osi, said attempts made by the contractor to make sacrifices to the river deity simply backfired. According to him, a cow and a cat that were presented to the deity died immediately they were brought, describing the occurence as a bad omen.
Reacting to the allegations, a group that calls itself Forum of Impacted Landlords (non-aquatic), in a statement titled “We Stand By Bedone” and signed by Messrs Benneth Ordu, Paul Osigwo and Dickey Woko among others, gave kudos to the NDDC for awarding the contract to Bedone, and assured the commission of their support. They noted that so long as Bedone is owned by an indigene, he should be allowed to do the job, perhaps in partnership with any other firm.
When contacted, the chairman of Bedone Int’l Ltd., Elemchukwu Ogbowu, said he would not comment on the project, since as he put it, “I am a serving commissioner in the Rivers State Government”. But as the battle as to who wins the contract rages, the suffering of the people lingers and animosity continues to build up among individuals and groups in the community.