The Edo house of assembly has summoned the management of Seplat Energy and leaders of Orogho community over a dispute regarding the land on which the company’s field is domiciled.
The house invited both parties during plenary on Monday as leaders of the community had earlier petitioned the house, asking that ‘Edo land’ be saved from being ceded to Delta through the activities of the firm.
Nosayaba Okunbor, the state house standing committee chairman on chieftaincy and community affairs, presented the report of the committee (on the petition) to the assembly for consideration.
Presenting the committee’s findings, Okunbor said the land on which the firm was operating belonged to Edo, according to documents obtained from the National Boundary Commission and Edo Geographic Information System (GIS).
He said the panel’s findings also revealed that the management of Seplat Energy paid royalty to Delta government rather than Edo government.
Contributing to the findings, Marcus Onobun, the house speaker, said no organisation would be allowed to “set the two sister-states against each other”.
He, therefore, directed Yahaya Omogbai, the clerk of the house, to communicate in writing to management of the firm and Orogho community to interface with the lawmakers on April 13, 2023.
Seplat Energy has a 45 percent working interest in oil mining leases (OMLs) 4, 38, and 41 which are located onshore in Edo (OML 4) and Delta (OMLs 38 and 41).