Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The people of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, on Monday rejected yuletide gifts from an oil firm, Sterling Energy Exploration and Production Company, SEEPCO.
Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Anieokpon Eno Ekpo, who rejected the gifts on behalf of the people of the council area, described the items as Greek gifts and corporate insult on the sensibility of the people.
The Christmas gift, consisting of 16 bags of rice and five cartons of wine, arrived the council secretariat through the community liaison officer of the company, Thomas Nduehe Akpan, but were outrightly rejected by the council chairman.
The council boss said the 16 bags of rice and five cartons of red wine could not be accepted because “Mkpat Enin people were not hungry for jollof rice or red wine.”
Ekpo, who berated the company for not being socially responsible to the community, said the people of Mkpat Enin were a contented people, while demanding for more sustainable community engagements from the oil company.
He regretted that a multibillion firm exploring oil in the area will feel so comfortable offering such “Greek gifts” to their host community, saying the company displayed ‘insensitivity and corporate insult on the sensibilities of Mkpat Enin people.
“The Local Government has been pushing for more mutually beneficial discussions with the oil company but they will rarely always avail themselves. The company must perfect its community involvement plans with the people to avoid rancour in operations.
“Up till now, the company is yet to present the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) documents of their exploration to the council area and has had very little or nothing to show in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility, despite the fact that the people of the area have over time offered them a very warm and welcoming working environment.”
The community liaison officer of the company, Thomas Nduehe Akpan, who led the visit, declined comments, explaining that he will report the Chairman’s reservations to the company.