The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has warned Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), to abide by the commission`s mandates and ensure effective cooperation with its host communities.
Mr Ekene Enefe, Chairman, RMAFC, Investment Monitoring Committee, gave the warning on Friday in Abuja during a meeting with some officials of SEEPCO and it’s host communities in Anambra State.
Present at the meeting were officials from other firms, such as Orient Petroleum (OPR), Cotton Wooden Gas Limited, and Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The host communities were Ogwu-Ikpele in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra and Ugwu Aniocha in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta.
Enefe, who doubles as the Commissioner representing Anambra, in the commission, recalled that on July 17, 2025, the commission invited the SEEPCO and the host communities’ to discuss unresolved issues.
He added that the SEEPCO requested that the commission should give enough time to the company to come back with detailed answers and documents.
He noted that the issues were involved related to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) and community compensation, which was agreed by both SEEPCO and the host communities.
The commissioner said that the SEEPCO was expected to adhere to the Nigerian laws and regulations regarding community compensation.
According to him, I believe the company has put the details of the unresolved issues in order, as the representative requested during the last meeting..
“Now, the committee wants to confirm if gas flaring penalties are being paid into the federation account.
“The truth must be told, and things must be done rightly. We need to see what you are doing in real terms.
“From all indications, SEEPCO is not really doing the right thing. The company should ensure effective cooperation with the host communities,” he said.
Enefe said that the RMAFC deemed it necessary to also invite NUPRC as supervising agency to strengthen the review.
Mr Emmanuel Ajang, who represented the SEEPCO, said that the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT), has been duly incorporated with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) approval and registration at Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Ajang said that the management of the company and advisory committees has been constituted.
He added that the company had also made payments of three per cent operating expenses for 2021 and 2022.
“Payment for 2023 had delayed due to joint review with the NUPRC, but approval has now been granted.
“The company started operation in 2019 in the community, and the company had fixed the community`s roads and constructed boreholes in the host communities,” he said.
Mr Patric Esumai, President-General of Ogwu-Ikpele Community, said that the SEEPCO commenced operations in their community in 2016, not 2019, as stated earlier by the SEEPCO representative.
Esumai added that the road constructed was only from one operational point, adding that the road constructed was not serving the community.
He, however, appealed to the commission to conduct an oversight verification visit to confirm the true situation in the communities.
Abdulazeez King, Commissioner representing Kogi State in the commission, emphasised that the situation of the host communities across the Niger Delta area is both painful and heartbreaking.
King stressed that the SEEPCO and other operators must be held accountable, noting that they will always present reports of projects supposedly executed, but real benefits to host communities were missing.
Mr Iyke Akuezumba, who represented the Orient Petroleum (OPR) and Cotton Wooden Gas Ltd., said that the invitation letter the companies received by the commission did not indicate exactly issues to be discussed.
According to him, I was not really prepared because I did not know the purpose of the meeting, but the companies are working closely with the NUPRC to ensure the mandates are adhere.
The Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, NUPRC, Mr Enorense Amadasu, assured the committee that the group accounts for every molecule of hydrocarbon produced in Nigeria and no volume was left untrack.
