Leaders spit government over oil exploration.

By Robert Ariaka.

Arua. September 11, 2012

The political leaders in Moyo district have challenged government to consider investing in knowledge and technical skills on Oil and gas exploration so as to alleviate poverty in west Nile region.

The leaders said without knowledge about the prospects of Oil and gas in the area, people will continue sinking in poverty. They made the remarks during a district dialogue meeting held at Moyo multipurpose training center on Thursday. 

The meeting was organized by rural initiative for community empowerment [RICE] West Nile with the aim of equipping local leaders with skills of stirring communities to contribute peacefully to oil and gas exploration in the district. It follows the discovery of oil and gas in Obongi county, Moyo district.

According to the secretary for production, marketing and natural resources Moyo district, Paul Maiku, the level of people’s education especially in the mineral sector in the district is still very low.

He said the government will continue grappling to fight poverty in this country if measures for the local person to benefit from the oil discovered are not clearly spelt out.

Maiku appealed to the government to consider students in west Nile region for scholarship in mineral exploration related courses other than only considering people from other parts of the country. Petroleum courses have been introduced in Kigumba college.

Gimara Sub County chairperson, Rashid Fadal Ibrahim, said people in Moyo were disappointed of the negative result announced by the NEPTUNE petroleum project about the dry wells hit in the hopeful oil areas in Obongi. He complained that unskilled man power was recruited from West Nile to work with NEPTUNE whereas the juicy positions were all taken by people from other regions.

He explained that community’s ignorance on oil and gas business has caused speculation, rumors and suspicions which have resulted to internal conflicts among land lords and the lawful occupants.

Jackson Olema, the RICE project manager, said there are still community mobilization challenges on matters pertaining oil and gas exploration in the region. He urged leaders, CSOs, CBOs in Moyo district to mobilized communities to prepare their sons and daughter for the industry by sending them for relevant courses on oil and gas