Ondo State government has inaugurated three newly-constituted oil association executives to pilot the affairs of their oil producing communities in Ilaje Local Government Area for the next four years.
The three new executives were: Obe Confederation in Conoil, Association of Ilaje Central Oil Producing Communities (ASICOPIC in Conoil) and Express/Shebah E&P Operational Area Associations in Ugbo kingdom.
Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who performed the inauguration, enjoined the executives to be dedicated and committed to the achievement of their associations’ visions for the development of Ilaje council area.
Aiyedatiwa was represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Sunday Akinwalire.
The deputy governor noted that the new executives would run the affairs of the three associations until the Petroleum Industry Act (PIB) became operational.
Assuring that the oil companies would give the executive due recognition, Aiyedatiwa urged them to be transparent with the oil companies and host communities in ensuring that meaningful projects were executed for the benefit of the people of the area.
“I wish to state that names of the representatives were drawn and compiled in the various oil communities and ratified by the Olugbo and other traditional rulers in Ugbo kingdom.
“It was after the completion of all these processes that the lists were forwarded to the government for endorsement and for onward notification of the oil companies.
“One of the key objectives of oil community representation is the enthronement of peace and mutual understanding in a manner that is beneficial to both the oil community and the oil operators.
“This is to ensure that the desired goal for facilitating company-community partnership for sustainable peace and conflict prevention was achieved,” he said.
Chairman of ASICOPIC, Mr Adejugba Ogundere, who spoke on behalf of other new executives, thanked Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu for the opportunity, promising that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
Others, who spoke at the occasion, urged the associations to relate with the communities to ensure that dividends of good governance got to them.
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