By Egufe Yafugborhi

EKET – AKWA Ibom state NNPC/MPN Joint Venture (JV) EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) has blamed delayed delivery of key projects under the Trust on non approval of the 5-Year Community Development Plan (CDP).

Clinton Akpam, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) Incorporated for the HCDT lamented the development at Eket, Eket Local Government Area, as the Trust held her 2nd Annual General Meeting on Wednesday.

Akpan, an engineer, said the delay in approving the CDP has brought projects to a standstill, disrupting delivery of essential services aimed at improving livelihoods among the host communities.

“Not having an approved 5-year CDP resulting in the trust not being able to implement certain projects” he emphasized, as he further pointed to the Trust Settlor’s representative residing in far away in Lagos state as part of the problem at it induces delays of document approvals.

According to him, since inception of the HCDT in July, 2023, the Trust has executed over 210 projects across seven host communities including, Eastern Obolo, Mbo, Onna, Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, Eket and Esit Eket from where it drew the acronym, EMOIMEE.

Akpan disclosed that as at December 2024, the Trust had committed over N7.8Billion to projects execution among the seven host communities.

These strategic projects, he listed, include procurement, distribution and installation of 77 prepaid meters in some communities, medical outreaches and 293 scholarships to students among others.

The Chairman assured the Trust would conduct “More regular community engagements and sensitization to ensure host communities members at various levels are kept abreast with activities of the Trust.

“We will be more intentional and committed to providing the much needed programmes and projects with a view to facilitating sustainable development of our seven communities.”

Inaugurated July 2023, the Trust operates in compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which mandates oil companies to set aside 3% of annual operating expenditure (OPEX) to fund boost development in their host communities.

The EMOIMEE Trust operations are supervised by industry regulator, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited (SEPNU), Operator of the JV.