Ayo Ola
In a flash only comparable to the speed of lightning, the mood of Tamunotonye Adagogo, would soon change. Adagogo is 37 years old and he said he has never in his three-less-than-40 years of existence witnessed any good the oil and gas resources at his father’s background have brought to his clan.
He was moody and petulant when sighted very close to the Ogoloma square. His lips were dry and folded, his eyeballs reddish and wide open, as he sank his sagging cheek in the cup of his palm. And, then the dignitaries began to arrive for the Petralon 54 Dawes Island Community Launch. The sonorous sound of drums from Wakirike Cultural Troupe rented the air. And the melodious climax was reached as the indigenous Masquerade groups came in with that special sound of drums that soothes the ears and gladdens the hearts. Soon, waists of different sizes began to shake less vigorously, less amorously.
At this moment, the ancient Ogoloma Kingdom has totally turned into a festive mood. In turn, traditional high chiefs from three kingdoms in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State arrived. And, then Adeola Akinrinmade, executive director, Petralon 54 Limited; Ahonsi Unuigbe, founder, Petralon 54 Limited; HRM Emmanuel Tamunoigbeindebia Ibiagolika, Amayanabo of Ancient Ogoloma Kingdom; HRM King Michael Ateke Tom, Amayanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, arrived.
Petralon 54 Limited was about to pull what Adagogo later confessed he has never witnessed any oil company pull in his community since he was born. The company has just been issued a license to operate and its first action was to take the license to the host communities for the official presentation to their leaders. Its intention is to take the proverbial sense of belonging far beyond rhetoric. Unknowingly to the marginal field licensee, it would later give Adagogo and hundreds of thousands of people like him in the Niger Delta, a new reason to believe that something good could, after all, come to them from Nigeria.
A background
In a remarkable show of acceptance, Ogoloma, Okochiri and Koniju communities in Okrika Local Government, Rivers State, found common ground in Petralon 54 Limited, an indigenous oil exploration and production company, recently granted the sole operatorship of the Dawes Island Field
Petralon 54, which was awarded Petroleum Prospecting License No. 259 (PPL 259) by the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, have been actively engaging the community since the award, with the motive of discovering the needs and pain points of the community. These engagements culminated in a visit to the communities on Thursday, 13th October 2022.
The talk-of-the-town Occasion
The event tagged ‘Dawes Island Community Launch’ held at the Ogoloma Town Square had the rich culture of the Okrika people on display and attracted dignitaries from the three communities, including the youths, community elders, members of the Council of Chiefs, top government functionaries and the paramount traditional rulers.
Notable amongst those present at the Petralon 54 Community Engagement Programme, asides from the Royal fathered, were: Honourable Linda Stewart Koroma, Member, Rivers State House of Assembly and Spokesperson for the Amanyanabo of Ogoloma Kingdom, Dr. Chris Biriowu, Spokesperson for the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, Chief Martins Ateli Kunumgbe, Chairman, Ogoloma Council of Chiefs and Engr. Alhassan Abubarka, and a representative of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Remarkable Presentation
Leading the Petralon 54 team, which included Adeola Akinrinmade, Executive Director and Gboyega Aiyemomi, Community & Government Relations Manager, was Ahonsi Unuigbe, Founder Petralon 54, who formally presented the company’s Petroleum Prospecting License No. 259 (PPL 259) to the Royal Fathers and the people, and conveyed appreciation for the warm reception accorded him and other members of Petralon 54 management team present at the occasion
Unuigbe, while presenting the PPL license, told the communities that “Petralon 54 is a socially responsible organisation that is committed to human and environmental wellbeing and urged the Okrika people to see the company as a partner in progress”.
“We are not just here to take without giving back. With the right atmosphere created by the Okrika people for our company’s operations, mutual prosperity is assured”, he promised.
Moments of Truth As the Hosts Talk
Speaking differently, but with one voice, the spokespersons for both Ogoloma and Okochiri communities, Hon. Linda Koroma and Dr Chris Biriowu, warmly welcomed Petralon 54 and expressed the communities’ happiness at the company’s effort at connecting deeply with the people.
“We are peace-loving people but we do not want to be taken for granted. In getting wealth out of our land, our people’s means of livelihood are destroyed. We, therefore, expect that we should be a part of the prosperity for which we sacrifice our livelihoods, ecosystem and land”, said Hon. Linda Koroma.
She added, however, that “with the way you – Petralon 54 have come to us, we are persuaded that you are keen on a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with our people, and for that, you have our full support and cooperation”.
Earlier in his remarks for Okochiri Kingdom, Dr Chris Biriowu commented that our communities have a very high percentage of youths, who will require employment and empowerment. We ask you, as one of us, to make this one of your own problems, too”.
Funding Dawes Island Activities
For an asset coming on board now that there is a funding issue in the industry, Adeola Akinrinmade, executive director, Petralon 54 Limited, unveiled how the company is trying to solve this.
“Okay, Thank you very much for that question. I say money is fluid and it is always looking for somewhere to rest. So, the question is, are you in the right position to attract funds to rest on in your asset? Yes, for us. You could have listened to what the founder and the CEO said when we were awarded in 2021. We did not just jump into it. We took time to engage with partners. They are an internationally known company for geoscientific research. We gave them the letter and they accepted it Intensely and vigorously. And they came out with the plan which we are going to utilize to attract investment. And the plan says during the course of the years, two years to three years….And it shows that the field is indeed viable enough to attract investment internationally, viable to attract investment locally. I would say there won’t be a problem attracting investment because this asset is viable.
Model: Going To Host community Without Heavy Security
“Yes, I said I will become a model of the relationship within the community and companies. You can see the support, already. We are with the newsmen, we are not here with security. We are not scared. My mother is from this state. I am also an indigene of this environment. So, for us, it is a homecoming.
Petralon 54: A firm And Its Future
Petralon 54 Ltd is an indigenous exploration and production oil and gas company. The company holds a 100% interest in PPL 259, which covers the Dawes Island Field, and is a subsidiary of Petralon Energy Limited, whose mission is to leverage its experience, expertise, and world-class delivery capability to grow true indigenous ownership within the sector while redefining the relationship between oil companies and communities.
As a company, Petralon 54 Limited is excited at the opportunities this development will present to every stakeholder in this ecosystem and has commenced significant investment in the asset, which has suffered neglect for more than eighteen years.
Going by its strategic plan to take the Dawes Island field to sustained commercial production before the end of the year 2022, Petralon 54started well-test operations in September 2022, an initiative which will result in sufficient data gathering that will enable seamless operation and contribution to national output.
The Ogoloma square, asides from thousands of Chiefs and indigenes of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, was a witness to special community relations exemplified by Petralon 54 Limited. Adagogo not only shook his waist excitedly before the end of the unprecedented event, he felt reassured by comments from the Amanyanabos and other Okrika opinion leaders in a better future ahead of him and members of his clan.
“We await them to fulfil the promises on jobs and training opportunities. We have heard same lines from others but what we have not seen others do is what they have done today by presenting their license to us,” he said with the smile of someone who has just conquered at a war front. He shook his waist a little more, wiped the sweat off his face with his palm and concluded; “We see the future with these people (Petralon 54). Let them just keep doing the right thing.”