Fresh crisis is currently brewing at the BUA Refinery and Petrochemicals in Akwa Ibom state as a community has accused the oil firm of illegally encroaching into their land.
The community, Ekid, has threatened to shut down the refinery complex insisting that the Stubbs Creeks Forest where the project is located is their territory.
The Whistler reports that the development follows a lingering dispute between the community and their neighbours, Ibeno, over the ownership of the said land.
BUA Refinery and Petrochemicals, a 200,000-b/d integrated refinery owned by Abdul Samad Rabiu, is located off the Atlantic Coast in the Stubbs Creek Forest, an area being disputed by the people of Ibeno, Esit Eket and Eket local government areas of Akwa Ibom state.
According to the Ekid people, found in Eket and Esit Eket Local Government Areas of the state, BUA should have followed the footsteps taken by Mobil Producing Nigeria which had its operational base in the area by meeting with the land owners and paying compensation accordingly before acquiring the land.
In a document submitted to the Akwa Ibom State Land Use And Allocation Committee and signed by the National President of Ekid People’s Union, Dr Samuel Udonsak, they accused BUA of illegal encroachment on their land without following the due process.
“ExxonMobil Qua Iboe Terminal is situated in the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.
“It was first dereserved, then the land acquired and compensation paid to the Ekid people who are the landowners of the Stubbs Creeks Forest.
“This is how land can be acquired in the Stubbs Creek Forest and nobody should be cajoled by greed for lack of knowledge to regard Ibeno as land owners of the Stubbs Creek Forest.
“That is what BUA ought to have done and must now do. Identify the area of its interest, meet the land owners (Ekid people) and we would be delighted to meet with them.
“With the secured lease terms from Ekid, the landowners, BUA would then approach the government for land titles as appropriate, anything less than that amounts to criminal encroachment and Ekid people will resist it until eternity,’’ he said.
Last month, BUA group clarified that although the refinery project was progressing, it was not yet 90 per cent completed as reported in some quarters.
The tussle over the ownership of the land where the project is located is one of the reasons for the slow pace of progress, according to the community.
BUA refinery management could not immediately comment on this report before going to press.
