Nigeria Senate on Tuesday has directed Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited to pay N18.4 billion compensation to 73 communities of in Rivers state the reason is for acquiring their land and loss of use of the affected land to pipeline Rights of Way through which are through the communities.
The Red chamber directed that the payment be made within 60 days. This decision is as result of report by its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, the Senate resolved that the restitutions needed to be made.
During Presentation of the report, Senator Patrick Akinyelure (PDP Ondo Central) who is the Committee chairman, said following its incorporation, the NLNG acquired landed properties in Rivers state spanning over 210 kilometres for use as its pipelines Right of Way which ended at the export terminal of the NLNG in Finima, Bonny Local Government of the state.
The committee chairman said, ''there were over 73 communities and over 200 families whose hitherto agrarian source of livelihood were negatively impacted upon by the said acquisition.
''After the the recent intervention of the Senate and after being given one month instead of 7 days allowed by the Senate to provide evidence of payment to the Committee, the NLNG could only show evidence of payment to some individuals, families and communities.
''The total amount it paid for part of the 210 kilometres of land acquired for pipelines Rights of Way was N74,642,773.00 which is not significant when compared to the sum of N18.4 billion approximately demanded by the 73 communities and over 200 families, which has never been objected to by the NLNG up till now.
''The payment made covered only 39 communities and 73 individuals and families; and that there was no Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signed between the communities and NLNG on future obligations in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility with the impacted communities.
''There was evidence that other oil companies such as Shell Petroleum Development Company, Totalfina, Elf Petroleum, Agip Oil Company paid compensation for the loss of use of land to their host communities.
''NLNG confessed that, the payments were made long ago and could not reasonably trace most of the payments documents but promised look for further evidence to show that it paid stakeholders concerned if given another one month to enable do so.
The committee said the demand was unnecessary and unreasonable, having granted NLNG one month earlier instead of 7 days allowed by the Senate at plenary to conclude its report.
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