The residents of Iko Town in Eastern Obollo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have issued a warning that they will shut down the operations of certain oil companies in their community.

This action is in response to the alleged refusal of these firms to attend meetings aimed at addressing issues affecting the community. The Concerned Citizens of Iko Town Association, representing the community, expressed disappointment that the companies had consistently declined invitations to discuss and resolve the community’s concerns.

It was gathered that the oil companies, including Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Ltd, and Natural Oil Field Services Ltd, had operated in the Oil Mining Lease field, OML13, between 1970 and 1996 without a clearly defined Memorandum of Understanding with the Iko community. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) remains the sole owner and licensed operator of the oil mining field in Iko Town.

In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of NPDC, the community expressed concerns that such behavior could lead to another crisis. The community demanded the payment of N250 billion in compensation for what they described as the “mindless, lawless, and criminal desecration of sacred land” among other grievances. They also urged NPDC to convene a meeting to prevent an impending crisis.

During a press conference in Uyo, Chief Frank Unyongs, the Chairman of the Concerned Citizens of Iko Town Association, accused NPDC of employing divide and rule tactics and emphasized that such an approach would not help in resolving community relations issues. He recounted how Shell had engaged in onshore oil exploration and drilling in Iko Town without any memorandum of understanding, taking advantage of the community’s illiterate fishermen. Unyongs called on NPDC to promptly conclude the ongoing meeting with the Concerned Citizens of Iko Town Association and stop playing games with the community.

In response to the community’s grievances, Dahiru Abubakar, the Manager of Community Relations at NPDC, stated that the company had been making efforts to maintain a positive relationship with host communities in its operations.