UPU charges FG to site headquarters of the Gas Flare Trust Fund in Urhoboland  

By Ovasa Ogaga,

The Urhobo apex socio-cultural organisation, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, has called on the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to site the national headquarters of the Gas Flare Trust Fund in Urhoboland.

UPU stated this in a letter dated 12th August 2020, signed by its President-General, Olorogun Moses Taiga and channelled through the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha urged Mr President look into their concern.

According to the UPU, Urhobos are entitled to the Headquarter as other states and ethnic nationalities have gotten what it described as, “their fair share of federal government establishments.”

They disclose that based on its oil and gas production and landmass, the impact from gas flare and operational environmental degradation, the Urhobos should be the benefactor of the headquarters location.

The letter read in part: “Urhobo Ethnic Nationality has been a host to major oil and gas assets since the discovery of petroleum in Nigeria producing oil and gas from – Afiesere, Eriemu, Osioka, Evwreni, and Oroni fields (in OML 30); Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Utorogu, Effurun, Ward River and Orho 1 fields(in OML 34), Okwefe, Amukpe, Okporhuru, and Mosogar, Ovhor and Orhogho (in OML 38), Sapele, Ubaleme, Okoporo (Ugborhen/Ozue) fields (in OML 41), Matsogo field (in OML 56), Aroh, Okwefe, Deep and Oghareki Fields (in OML 49), et cetera.

“The Urhobos are host to some of the largest gas fields, with the Ughelli South and Utorogun Gas fields being the largest gas plants in West Africa. It added that these fields are served by oil flow stations, pumping stations and the gas plants.

“These are all sources of gas and other pollutants emissions. To be candid Sir, the Urhobo people and their environs, being upland and swamp, I venture to say had more than enough share of gas flares, than any other nationality in Nigeria.

“To further justify our request for locating the National Headquarters of the Gas Flare Trust Fund in our land, we took a cursory look at the Oil and Gas development agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for oil and gas producing area and imparted communities and locations of their headquarters Commission- Niger Delta Development Commission – Port Harcourt(Rivers); Petroleum Trust Development Fund – Kaduna (Kaduna); Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project – Port Harcourt (Rivers); Nigerian Content Management Board Yenegua (Bayelsa) and National Petroleum Development Company – Benin- City (Edo).

While revealing its readiness to host the headquarters, the UPU wrote: “We already have existing facilities in Warri environ for the take-off activities of the National Headquarters of the Gas Flare Trust Fund. In addition, we have also earmarked a large landmass for construction if new facilities need to be built.”