A coalition of Traditional Monarchs of the Niger Delta region under the auspice of Association of Rural Chiefs (ARC) have queue behind Femi Falana, (SAN) and human right lawyer, over his call on President Buhari to deny licence renewal of oil Block owners in Nigeria.
In a letter addressed to the President, dated March 20, 2019, Falana had commended President Buhari for taking the Bull by the horn in his determination to revoke the licenses of some oil block owners. He, however, urged the president to refuse the renewal of the licenses of some oil block owners.
The National Coordinator of the Association of Rural Chiefs (ARC), Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, said the Monarchs from across the host communities of the Niger Delta states were behind the calls for the non-renewal of oil block licenses.
In a statement issued in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the coordinator of the Association revealed that their support is based on their determination to provide a level playing ground for host communities to participate in the oil industry, reduce discontent and increase input in the local economy.
The Monarch added, “We are not against giving it to state governments; the local government, but it should not be of individuals. We should not go back to the military era where the blocks were awarded to friends and cronies. The oil blocks should be redistributed to the three tiers of government. For example, you can see the case of Aiteo takeover of SPDC assets in Nembe Kingdom, where the host communities were not consulted. They bought OML 29 in 2015,”
