From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Finima community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in an impending crisis among the host families, in view of the commencement of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Train 7 project, in the area.
Sunday Sun gathered that the brewing crisis followed alleged exclusion of two out of three families hosting the NLNG Train 7 from the scheme of things in the project.
The Chairman of Opu-Asawo, Tobin Chieftaincy House Youths, Finima, Gbara Tobin, said that the host community to the Train 7 project was made up of three chieftaincy houses, regretting that only a family was carried along in the project.
Speaking during a peace demonstration at the site of the project, Gbara said that Finima was made up of Brown, Tobin and Anthony Chieftaincy Houses, wondering why NLNG preferred to deal with only a family in its projects in the area.
‘We are here to make our presence felt because Finima Community we are aware, is made up of Brown, Tobin and Anthony Chieftaincy Houses. But, with regards to NLNG executing projects in our community, we see that they have been using the back door in relating with the people in Finima Community,’ he said.
‘We are now aware that Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo, SCD, Joint Venture Consortium, is sneaking into the community to relate with only one of the families, Brown House.
‘We have made it clear overtime again that Finima Community consists of three Houses and since the train one to train 6, NLNG has been dealing with the Brown House and that is what is causing this issue.
‘Now, they are about executing the Train 7+ project and the Tobin house is left out. Today, we are aware that SCD Consortium is here. We want them to understand that in Finima Community, we have three houses and they don’t have any right to deal with Brown House alone in Finima Community.’
He urged the companies to relate with each of the hierarchies of the community if they were in the area to do business, warning that no part of the community should be deprived of their right.
Gbara continued: ‘If they are to come into this community, they should relate with the various Chieftaincy Houses respectively. They should stop looking into the community and making arrangements with one family and depriving the rest people of their God-given right.
‘I want to call on the Local Government Chairman, our representatives, the King and Chiefs in Council, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, to listen to our cry before NLNG will cause more chaos in this community.’
