Traditional rulers, chiefs, Community Development Committee chairmen, women and youth leaders from the four kingdoms hosting the EA Field in Bayelsa State have raised concerns over the exclusion of qualified youths and indigenous contractors from employment, contracts and other economic opportunities in their communities.
The stakeholders said benefits meant to improve the livelihoods of host community members had been concentrated in the hands of a few individuals, leaving local business owners and unemployed youths struggling to access opportunities.
They stated their position in a counter-resolution adopted at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Ernest Ikoli Media Centre, Ekeki, Yenagoa.
The resolution signed by Chief Raphael Lamaletei, Palace Permanent Secretary, representing His Royal Highness, Roman Dereabebe, the Paramount Ruler of Letugbene Federated Community, on behalf of the traditional rulers and critical stakeholders.
The stakeholders, drawn from the Kou, Iduwini, Mein and Basan West kingdoms in Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw local government areas, said the four kingdoms comprise 16 communities hosting the EA Field.
They maintained that the Community Content Plan Management Committee (CCPMC) was established to ensure transparency and fairness in the distribution of contracts, jobs and other benefits from Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited’s EA Field operations.
According to them, the committee was duly constituted after consultations with traditional rulers, CDC chairmen, women, youths, opinion leaders and other representatives of the host communities, with agreements dating back to 2025.
The meeting followed a November 3, 2026, press briefing reportedly led by HRH Decca Keredei, Amananawei of Amatu-1, which questioned the legitimacy and leadership of the CCPMC.
The stakeholders, however, rejected the allegations and reaffirmed their confidence in the committee’s chairman, High Chief Hon. Stanley Enaibagha Braboke, declaring the committee legitimate and duly constituted.
They also announced the dissolution of the CDC Chairmen Forum, alleging that it was being used to recommend foreign contractors for contracts and employment opportunities meant for members of the host communities.
In a significant development, prominent Niger Delta leader and former militant commander, Gen. Victor Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf, has thrown his weight behind the host communities on the controversy surrounding the CCPMC.
His intervention is considered significant given his influence and longstanding involvement in Niger Delta affairs, particularly on community interests, resource control and relations between oil companies and host communities. His support reinforces the position of stakeholders who insist that the CCPMC was established through consultations and agreements involving representatives of the four kingdoms and should not be dismissed as an illegitimate or self-appointed body.
The stakeholders called on Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, its partners, government authorities and security agencies to recognise and engage with the CCPMC on matters concerning the management of community benefits.
They further urged Keredei and his supporters to withdraw their statements against the committee chairman and tender a public apology.
The stakeholders appealed to youths across the 16 communities to remain peaceful and law-abiding, stressing the need to protect the unity of the host communities.
They insisted that qualified indigenes, particularly local contractors and unemployed youths, deserved fair access to the economic opportunities generated by oil and gas activities in their communities.
