Oando's EIA Controversy Deepens: Community leaders accuse Oando of bribing 'fake representatives'

Community leaders from Oyangbene, Delta State, have accused Oando Energy Resources Limited of conducting a "forceful" Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) at the Grangbene Deep "A" Project without proper consultation with the community.

In a press release, Dr. Enewaridideke Ekanpou, Mr. Paul Tusemone, and Chief Aguede Obosu alleged that a group of individuals, including Joseph Tusemone, had falsely claimed to represent the community and accepted the EIA report on their behalf.

The leaders claimed that Joseph Tusemone and others had written to Oando on January 21, 2026, accepting the EIA report before it was even conducted, and later commended the company for a "forceful EIA" that has not been produced or subjected to public debate.

Full text below;

A Renewed call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Intervention in Grangbene Deep "A' Project over Oando's forceful EIA

1. Heavily supported by statistics and verifiable evidence, we hereby renew our call on President Tinubu to intervene in Grangbene Deep "A'" Project over Oando Energy Resources Limited's forceful EIA on 8 March 2026. The impetuous publication in the Vanguard of 20 March 2026 credited to Mr Joseph Tusemone and others entitled: ' Delta community backs Oando over Grangbene project EIA', should be ignored because it is a meaningless and baseless publication borne out of collusion, confusion and self-serving calculations. Oyangbene is an autonomous community in Ngbilebiri-Mein Kingdom. Everybody knows this. In all the letters to NAOC from 2009 till date, including letters to other communities and government institutions,  the letter head has often borne OYANGBENE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY. In ward seven in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Ayakoromo is the only federated community. To call Oyangbene community a federated community is a laughable creation of these impetuous authors.

2. Joseph Tusemone and the others are a bunch of impetuous, lie-coated and confused authors. Oando's forceful EIA was witnessed on 8 March 2026. But on 21 January 2026, these confused self-serving authors who parade themselves as leaders wrote to OANDO that the EIA report had been already accepted by Oyangbene community, even before the forceful EIA came into being. To quote their letter, they said: 'Finally the (EIA) report was generally accepted by the community therefore the community huge you to come and work'.How can a group of people write to accept an EIA that is not yet carried out? Is this not ridiculous and abnormal?

3. In another breath of confusion and directionlessness, Joseph Tusemone and others wrote and commended Oando over  a forceful EIA report that has not been produced and subjected to public debate as a test of its authenticity. It is  pitiable and laughable that these confused authors are publicly commending an EIA report that is yet to be produced by the company. Only confused, unenlightened and impetuous people commend a non-existing EIA report.

4. We wish to reiterate that the forceful EIA by Oando was carried out without the information and engagement of Oyangbene and other communities. To prove this point , it must be noted that Joseph Tusemone was telephoned by security agencies on 8 March 2026 over the forceful EIA and he confirmed that the Oyangbene community was not informed and he was not privy to Oando's operation. The record of this telephone conversation can be got from MTN on demand in case of denial by Joseph Tusemone. The same Joseph Tusemone who had confirmed to security agents on phone that Oyangbene community was not privy to Oando's EIA operation is the same person deceiving the entire public with a publication that Oando carried out the 'forceful EIA' after due consultation with the community. We are convinced that security agencies will not hesitate to produce this evidence of telephone conversation against Joseph Tusemone if he tries to deny this. We hereby challenge Joseph Tusemone to deny that he had  revealed to security agencies on telephone conversation that Oyangbene community was not privy to Oando's operation in Grangbene Deep "A" Deep Project on 8 March 2026.

5. It is clear from the above evidence-based intimations that Joseph Tusemone and the others are on a mission to misinform the public and ingratiate themselves into the favour of Oando for their selfish end. Oando suddenly came to the location of Grangbene Deep "A" Project without telling the relevant stakeholders and communities concerned. Joseph Tusemone and the others don't represent the interest of Oyangbene and  the other communities. They are merely at work to grab whatever they can from the company through tendentious collective  publication riddled with confusion and contradictions. Therefore, the calculated, impetuous and contradictory supportive publication of Joseph Tusemone and the others should not be given any serious thought and ear because it is not geared towards the betterment of Oyangbene and the sister communities.

Signed:

Dr. Enewaridideke Ekanpou (stakeholder from Oyangbene community)

Mr Paul Tusemone (stakeholder from Oyangbene community)

Chief Aguede Obosu ( stakeholder from Oyangbene)