Eroton E & P Limited and NNPC joint venture have inaugurated dire projects in Bille and Krakrama Communities of Rivers State.
Eroton is in a JV with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the operation of oil Mining License 18 which until 2014 belonged to Shell in the Cawthorne Channels and areas around Asari -Toru local council area.
The projects executed in Bille include the furnishing of the palace of Amanyanabo of Bille Kingdom and administrative block, renovation and re-stocking of drugs for a six-bed health centre, installation of 10,000 litres of borehole water scheme at Jike-Ama, installation of 10 solar panel street lights at Touma, construction of one litre channel at Opu Osia Community and women support scheme under which 50 plastic tables of viva brand and 500 plastic chairs of regency black horse brand were purchased for the Bille Women Forum.
The projects were executed under the GMoU platform which is managed by the Degema Local Government Area (DELGA) 1 Cluster Development Board (CDB).
Addressing the Eroton team at the Bille Town Hall shortly after the commissioning of the projects, chairman of Bille Kingdom Chiefs’ Council, Alabo (Barr) Bennett Okpokiye Dokubo Opu Abekere, XV Regent of Bille Kingdom, lamented over abject poverty in the past 50 years.
He said: “Thank God for divestment. Today, Eroton has taken part of the responsibility/liability of SPDC and without saying much, we are seeing the practicability of Eroton. We welcome Eroton and what they have done.”
The next project inaugurated was the one-line channel of 245metres at Opu Osia Community. The channel was constructed in two phases. The first phase, which was 100 metres long, was completed in 2017 while the second phase of 145 metres long, was completed in 2018.
The one-line channel is meant to control flooding in the community, especially during heavy rain fall and high tides.
Flooding had been a terrible menace in the area, washing away shore soils and weakening building foundations, most times leading to the collapse of such buildings.
It was commissioned by Comr. Garrick Ibima Firstbury, chairman of IYC, Bille Kingdom, who represented Hon. Anthony Soberekon, member representing DELGA Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The next project commissioned was a 6-bed health centre which Eroton renovated and re-stocked with drugs.
The last project commissioned was the women support scheme for which 50 plastic tables of viva brand and 500 plastic chairs of regency black horse brand were purchased. It was commissioned by Emmanuel Toby of Community Affairs Department, Eroton.
In his speech at the community hall, chairman of DELGA 1 Cluster Development Board, Firimabo Bob Ogunga, thanked Eroton E&P Limited for coming to commission the sustainable community development projects.
He said: “Some of the SCD projects initiated through the GMoU platform have been completed while others are ongoing. Among the ongoing projects are provision of laboratory equipment at Community Secondary School Bille, construction of six-room concrete public toilet at Iwo Ama, Bille, training of 3 Bille indigenes in oil well compression and reservoir engineering, provision of bore hole water at Opu Billeboko Ama, Bille etc.
“The essence of this commissioning is to enable Eroton and her Joint Venture partner to formally handover the completed SCD projects to the Bille Kingdom for use.
Responding, Emmanuel Toby of Community Affairs, Eroton, said: “Bille Kingdom, we appreciate you. It’s one area we see you utilize the funds we’re giving and I will tell you the truth: any time you come forward with project, we look at it very well and we seem to bend, compared to other clusters.
This women empowerment thing we did, in other communities we don’t accept it because we’re scared that the money will just go off. But for the trust we have in Bille, we have bent because we know you will manage it well. We are very grateful to your people, for the station has been peaceful.”
