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Senate Summons NLNG After Rivers Communities Accuse Company Of Failing To Pay N18billion Compensation

January 26, 2022

The NLNG is expected to appear before the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions within a week or face the consequences of failing to do so.

The Senate has summoned the management of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited over the company's alleged refusal to pay compensation for lands acquired from 73 host communities in Rivers State. 
The NLNG is expected to appear before the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions within a week or face the consequences of failing to do so. 

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The summon was issued on Wednesday by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, following a report by the committee. 
The report was premeditated on a petition by one Chief Enyinna Onuegbu on behalf of the communities located in Obiafu, Soku to Bonny, respectively. 
According to the petition, the NLNG had failed to pay N18billion to 73 communities and over 200 families whose hitherto agrarian source of livelihood was negatively affected by the acquisition of their lands by the company. 
Lawan, who issued the petition said, “Instead of just saying NLNG should go and pay N18billion and at the end of the day nothing happens, let us give NLNG one more chance, and this should be by the Senate itself, not our committee. 
“I am sure NLNG is listening. NLNG should appear within one week before our Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions with their evidence of compensation.
“If they fail, the Senate will take a decision on NLNG in this respect.”  
Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central), in his presentation, said that, “Following the incorporation of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, it acquired landed properties in Rivers State in 1996 spanning over 210 kiln for use as its pipelines Right of Way which ended at the export terminal of the NLNG in Finima Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“That there were over 73 communities and over 200 families whose hitherto agrarian source of livelihood were negatively impacted upon by the said acquisition;
“That NLNG neither proved nor showed evidence to the committee that it paid compensation to the 73 communities for loss of use of their land to pipelines Right of Way, and that there was no Memorandum of Understanding signed between the communities and NLNG on future obligations in the name of corporate social responsibility with the impacted communities.
“That there was evidence that other oil companies such as Shell Petroleum Development Company, Totalfina Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, Agip Oil Corporation paid compensation for loss of use of land to their host communities and that the communities were claiming the sum of N18,448,842,500,00 being compensation for the loss of use of their land as at May 2020.

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