CHRAN commends Eastern Obolo EMOIMEE trustees for transparency
The Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN) has commended the Board of Trustees (BOT) members representing Eastern Obolo in the EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) for their prompt and transparent response to its Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
The organisation also urged BOT members representing the remaining host communities who have yet to provide similar information to emulate their Eastern Obolo counterparts in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Etim Ekpimah
The Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN) has commended the Board of Trustees (BOT) members representing Eastern Obolo in the EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) for their prompt and transparent response to its Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
The organisation also urged BOT members representing the remaining host communities who have yet to provide similar information to emulate their Eastern Obolo counterparts in the interest of transparency and accountability.
CHRAN noted that the EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust is a statutory body established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021, with Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited as the settlor and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) as the regulator. The Trust is mandated to improve the quality of life in its seven host communities, Eket, Mbo, Onna, Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, Esit Eket and Eastern Obolo.
According to the organisation, EMOIMEE was incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020, on 5 July 2023 and formally inaugurated on 18 July 2024. Since then, it has attracted public scrutiny over the management of funds remitted by the NNPC/Mobil Producing Nigeria Joint Venture. CHRAN said reports indicate that the Trust has received more than ₦60 billion since its establishment, amid allegations of poor project delivery, inadequate transparency, weak accountability and possible mismanagement.
It said these concerns informed its decision to seek information from the BOT members representing the seven host communities under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
CHRAN explained that, in a letter dated 25 May 2026, it requested information from BOT members representing Eastern Obolo, Esit Eket, Ikot Abasi, Onna and Mbo. The request sought details of projects executed, their locations, scholarships awarded and beneficiaries, contractors engaged, and other community development interventions undertaken since the Trust’s inception.
The organisation said only the Eastern Obolo BOT members, Rt. Hon. (Sir) Uduyork J. Aboh and Mrs Lily Evans John, have responded satisfactorily. According to CHRAN, they provided comprehensive documentation showing 29 projects executed in Eastern Obolo since 2023, the contractors handling the projects, and scholarships awarded to 2,000 beneficiaries.
CHRAN said it independently verified the information and found it to be accurate, describing the response as a commendable demonstration of openness and accountability. It urged the trustees to sustain the standard.
However, the organisation expressed concern that the BOT members representing Ikot Abasi, Esit Eket, Onna and Mbo, Hon. E. Justus Ntuk, Hon. Sir Bassey Dan-Abia Jr., Esq., Clinton Akpan and Sir Engr. Dr Asuquo Edet Inuikim, have yet to respond to its FOI request, despite the legal obligation to respond within the timeframe stipulated by the Freedom of Information Act.
CHRAN also recalled that it had earlier submitted separate FOI requests to the BOT representatives for Mkpat Enin and Eket. While the Mkpat Enin representative responded, the Eket representative failed to do so, prompting the organisation to institute legal action in Suit No. FHC/CS/10/2026, which is currently pending before the Federal High Court.
The organisation said its engagement with EMOIMEE was prompted by persistent complaints from residents of the host communities, who allege that the Trust has not delivered development commensurate with the substantial funds allocated to it.
It stressed that transparency and accountability are legal and moral obligations for any statutory trust managing public resources on behalf of host communities.
CHRAN therefore called on the BOT members representing Ikot Abasi, Esit Eket, Onna and Mbo to respond to its request without further delay. It warned that if the information continues to be withheld, it will pursue all lawful means to compel disclosure and ensure that host communities are fully informed about how development funds are being utilised.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in the management of host community development funds across Nigeria, adding that it would continue engaging EMOIMEE and its Board of Trustees until all seven host communities receive the disclosures to which they are entitled under the law.
The statement was jointly signed by Otuekong Franklyn Isong, Director, and Comrade Etimbuk Ekpenyong, Secretary, Research and Documentation, and dated 6 August 2026.
