*ADVERTORIAL*
A rebuttal from the President General of Assah Autonomous Community in Ohaji/ Egbema local government area of Imo State.
My name is Comrade Prince Evans Reward. I’m also the State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Imo State. I’m one of the benefactors of the government of the day by Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma.
My attention was drawn to a publication, an online publication allegedly authored by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, anchored by Honourable Commissioner Henry Okafor on the 6th of July 2025 that the leadership of Assah community, able-headed by me, is on the run and at the same time, that the Town Union President is thwarting the directive of the Governor and also, in his comments, he also alleged that the PG of the community says “who is the Governor? That he should go and tell the Governor that he is the one in charge.
I want to use this opportunity to refute this claim by the Honourable Commissioner who also wants to create problems in my community by using a platform, an association registered in Bayelsa State, and popularly known as Hostcom, to instigate crises in Assah community.
Assah community is hosting about six multinational companies in the community and within my reign as the President General of Assah community. Assah community has been peaceful.
I can also recall that sometime last year, the Honourable Commissioner Niger Delta Affairs, Henry Okafor sent some group of men to be extorting money from Tanker drivers, N10,000 on the road, which my attention was drawn to it. And with my position as the State Chairman of NUPENG, I had to draw the attention of the State Government through the Ministry of Petroleum to confirm the authenticity of those doing this Taskforce on the road, stopping the tanker drivers under my control and the directive was given that those are illegal tax force, that the hand of the Government is not there.
So we dismantled the Task Force and since that day, my union has been working in good standing with the State Government under Ministry of Petroleum and in good standing with the state government.
NUPENG is one of the industrial unions that is peaceful in Imo State and Henry Okafor as Commissioner of Niger Delta Affairs has been creating issues in Assah community where I am still the PG.
An investor called Hamacam came into Assah to build a gas station. They acquired a land from the landlords, made all the necessary payments.
Henry Okafor sent HOSTCOM to write to them and asking them to appear before HOSTCOM that HOSTCOM is in charge of oil and gas in Imo State. That HOSCOM must see them and tell them what they are doing, and possibly make some payments for clearance before they can come into Assah to execute their projects.
My attention was drawn to it and I called HOSTCOM with the number they gave me. And I told them that the only authority that is in charge of oil and gas activities in Imo State is the Ministry of Petroleum under the leadership of the Petroleum Commissioner in Imo State.
Henry Okafor saw that my emergence as the President General of Assah, having had a 17 years experience in the oil and gas industry, that I would be disturbing his illegal activities in Assah community hence the blackmail.
Henry Okafor recruited some group of boys in Assah community, and called them HOSTCOM, Assah branch where you have one comrade, Chief George Opara as their media head, who also publish activities for him.
As earlier last year, WalterSmith, Petroleum Oil Limited, came into Assah community, to drill about five wells. Land payment was made to the land owners. Not on lease, but outright purchase. The land in question had an issue, where His Royal Highness, Eze David, the traditional ruler of Akwakuma, purchased the land from the owners’ great-grandfathers during the great grandfathers’ ride at Umuokoroka family.
At the same time,they went and resell the same land to Walter Smith. Eze David, approached the court to stop Walter Smith from entering into the land. It was the same President General of Assah community, leadership of Assah community, traditional rulers of Assah community,with Honourable Commissioner Petroleum, that intervened to ensure that the company continued their activities in Assah community.
Site preparations have been concluded. A rig owned by an elder statesman in Imo State was mobilized to come and drill for Walter Smith in Assah community. Same Henry Okafor sent his group of boys to come and disturb the activities of WalterSmith in that same rig camp.
Our attention was drawn, even in our absence, that there is a heavy problem in the camp, in the rig camp.
So the Town Union President and his executive drove to the point we got to that area. We met three men that said they are from HOSTCOM, through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, that they are coming to do land demarcation. And I told them that land demarcation or claiming who owns land, and who does not own land; does not fall under their jurisdiction. That we have Ministry of Lands, we have Commissioner of Petroleum, and the leadership of the community is not aware that they are coming to my community to investigate all these. And if anything happens today, I will be the one to be held responsible.
We asked them to leave the premises as I will be the one to be held responsible so that we will get an official invitation, where the leadership of the community will be on the know. But meanwhile, HOSTCOM does not apply.
HOSTCOM, as an association, does not have rights to interfere in the community development. At once they left safely, without any problem, no beating, no exchange of words, because security agencies were there, army and the police were all there. They also came with an escort from Walter Smith. And at the same day, they left the same point with the security to another rig camp in AdaPalm, owned by Seplat.
So at this point, the last thing we saw was rumours that the police were not there. PG hired the thugs to beat up those that are sent by government. And I have to say this, that Henry Okafor should stop tarnishing the image of the governor by using the state government to create problems and using the governor’s name, that he was directed by the governor to do all these, to do this and do that.
Because on two occasions, I have used the case of Task Force, constituted by Henry Okafor, to disturb the truck drivers on the road.I have come to understand that the governor’s hand is not on all these Henry Okafor activities.
Therefore, I want to let the public know that Henry Okafor is instigating crisis in our community by creating people using HOSTCOM and creating some loyalists under his commission to create problems, to extort money from all the companies in our community. And the leadership of our community is saying No.
“We are saying No to this. And we will not accept Henry Okafor’s meddling into our community for whatsoever reason?
So I want to appeal to people of the world that the information circulating is not a true fact. As far as this government is concerned, we are not on the run. I am not on the run. I don’t have any issues with the state government.
My name is David Egbule, former President General of Assah Autonomous Community and a prominent community leader in Assah.
Assah community is where God in his infinite mercy chose to plant us. We cannot go to another part of the world where another man’s strength has tied it up. And at the same time, we are resilient enough to repeal unnecessary, undue interference and meddlesomeness in the community affairs.
Assah community has laid down rules and regulations bordering on issues pertaining to oil exploration and the sharing of the benefits in the community.
I make bold to say that the community have sharing formula for everything accruing to the community as it pertains to the landowners and the community, which is 60-40, 60 for the community and 40 for the landlords.
On the issue of Walter Smith and HOSTCOM. It is good we let the world know that actions, these actions being taken so far are very ridiculous, ridiculous and a shame and actions unbecoming of a public office holder in the name of Henry Okafor.
I also make bold to say that he is instigating crisis in Assah and he should be aware that we are not fools. We are not fools. We know ourselves and we know our rights. We cannot allow him to bring in an alien Body that is non-existent in the community to be disturbing the peace of the community.
He is trying to instigate crisis in the community of which we cannot allow him. It is also worthy of note that during this time in question, that Henry Okafor has sponsored several persons to protest against Walter Smith to protest against the PG, to protest against these government.
“These are actions too ridiculous in the presence of the Commission. We are also saying that they should steer clear of Assah community The PG is a core loyalist and ardent follower of the government administration.
And when people want to be dubious, they will fabricate issues and tell lies that are unfounded. If the PG actually said what they accuse him of saying, if anybody has the video of where he was saying it, should produce it.
And if none, they should hide their faces in shame. Assah community has leadership and there are set laws and orders how things are being done.
Assah community has leadership and cannot abide by foreign interference. Those who are instituting HOSTCOM in Assah community should go to their own communities like Osemoto and institute HOSTCOM. If there are no HOSTCOM in Izombe, and there is no HOSTCOM in Agwa. Why is HOSTCOM being instituted in Assah with the singular aim of creating crisis?
“Now, given these facts, we are saying the state government, to disregard these blatant lies, falsehood, and anomalies, which are created with the intent to create disaffection between the President General, who is the NUPENG Chairman of Imo State, and the state government.
Given the cordial relationship and the good working conditions they have been abiding on, the President General of Assah remains the son of His Excellency. And Assah in its entirety is for Senator Hope Uzodimma. He is our political party, and whatever he does is what we do. Wherever he goes is where we go.
So these lies, and these anomalies should be disregarded.
My name is Ugorji Emmanuel. The Secretary General of Assah Town Union. Former President of Ohaji Youths. State Chairman Niger Delta Youth Movement.
I am surprised that today that Henry Okafor is talking about HOSTCOM and oil company in our place. And I’m sure that we have an oil company in Oguta and other places. I see no reason why somebody should wake up one morning and want to start his political vision in Assah.
HOSTCOM is not a government agency, but just a platform, just like an association in the Niger Delta. So I don’t know why it’s becoming an issue that somebody woke up and sent his thugs to my community to start creating trouble in my community.
And I expect that people from the community will not ask them, what are you doing here?
The PG is not on the run. The Town Union is not on the run for any reason. We can’t run away for anybody in our town. It’s not possible. And we cannot work against this government. We are part and parcel of this government. The Town Union is all people of us. We are fully appointed by the government. So how can we fight against the agency. How can the agency be proven to act without informing the local government chairman, not even the councillor of the ward, and not even the PG of the ward, and you are trying to stop your own company.
You are sabotaging your own company. You are sabotaging the government source of finance.The people like us will resist it.If he wants to do his own thing, we are not having problems in our community.
Even when we had problems, we didn’t see any of them. So if there is anyone that wrote a petition to him that wants him to come to our site, he should have contacted the agency of the community or the PG or any other person.
And he should also be ready to produce the people that he’s using to cause the problem at this, he should be ready to produce them too.We are coming for him.
Since he has started this fight, we’re going to finish it. He will see us on his desk. Our area is a volatile area. There’s no problem in that area. So I don’t want anybody to spoil or sabotage the peace we are enjoying.
Henry Okafor should be called to order to avoid protests that he will not come out of it.
Signed
Comrade Prince Evans Reward
President General
Assah community
Mr. Ugorji Emmanuel
Secretary General
Assah community
Mr David Egbule
Stakeholder
Assah community
