INVESTIGATION: ESIT EKET HCDT SCHOLARSHIP BENEFICIARIES’ LIST HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC

~ By Unwana Assam
Thur, 7 Nov

In every Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) established by the oil and gas companies, there is a fundamental principle that members of the Trust are always reminded of by the Settlors during the inauguration ceremony. This principle revolves around the concepts of Accountability, Transparency, and Leadership. These three tenets form the cornerstone of the relationship between oil and gas companies and the host communities they operate in. They are not just words; they are a commitment to uphold the integrity of the Trust and ensure that the interests of the community are prioritized.

In Esit Eket Local Government Area, recent developments have led to a growing sense of unease among community members regarding the management of the HCDT under the EMOIMEE initiative, particularly, concerning the distribution of the 2021 scholarship to deserving students. The Trust’s reluctance in publishing the list of beneficiaries has left the community feeling neglected and shortchanged.

This issue has sparked considerable discord and discontent among the residents of Esit Eket, who are voicing their concerns over the Trust’s apparent reluctance and lackadaisical approach to releasing the list of beneficiaries who were awarded scholarships.

Despite these challenges, it has come to our attention that the 2021/2022 scholarship, funded by the fund contributed by the Settlor into the Trust account, has indeed been disbursed to students from Esit Eket attending various tertiary institutions. This action deserved commendation, and I earlier extended my congratulations to the Trust for fulfilling this commitment. Such initiatives are essential and have been well-received by the community, reflecting positively on the extractive company’s commitment to education and empowerment.

However, following the disbursement of these scholarships, as part of their responsibilities which is enshrined in the PIA, it is imperative for the Esit Eket HCDT to take immediate action to maintain transparency and keep the community informed about their operations. A comprehensive report detailing the scholarship program should be published without delay. This report should include a thorough tabulation of the beneficiaries’ names, the institutions they attend, their respective departments, the amount paid to each student, the total amount expended for the scholarship program of the year 2021, as well as their villages and wards. Such information should be made accessible at the local government headquarters in Uquo, allowing all community members to review and understand the distribution of these scholarships.

There is an adage which goes thus: “doing the right thing is not a waste of time”. Since the Trust claimed they had paid scholarships for the students of the area for the year 2021, nothing stopped them from coming clean with the list of beneficiaries, because it is expected that they already have the list. Despite repeated appeals by concerned members of the community to the Trust to make the list available, nothing has been forthcoming from them. They are rather demanding for an official request for the list to be released to interested parties. Does this not sound ridiculously funny?

Well, for many, this requirement by the insolent Trust members is seen as an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle that raises questions about transparency and accountability in how the scholarship program is being managed. A sub-committee tagged Education Renaissance was set up to handle everything related with scholarship awards and, the committee is headed by Dr. Udoyo Udoyo.

Dr. Udoyo is an educationist and a Rector of Heritage Polytechnic, and many indigenes were baffled that someone of his pedigree could head such a committee, award scholarships, and yet refused to publish the list of beneficiaries.

My findings from Dr. Udoyo: when I called Udoyo to find out why he has not published the list of the beneficiaries of the scholarship after payment, he had this to say “Yes, I’m the chairman of Education Renaissance. For the year 2021, we paid all the students. After the payment, we compiled the list of the beneficiaries, and since I was not authorized by the Trust that released the money for scholarship to publish the list, I submitted to them. So, our job ended there. Whatever happened next, we don’t know as it is the responsibility of the Trust that constituted our committee to publish the beneficiaries’ list”.

For the interest of the reading public, the scholarship initiative under the Esit Eket HCDT is part of a broader effort to support educational advancement for young indigenes within the host community. The scholarship fund is part of the money paid to the Trust by the ExxonMobil which is the mother of all the Trusts under PIA as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to benefit communities affected by their operations.

The controversy surrounding the 2021 scholarship in Esit Eket list stems from the Trust’s insistence on a formal application from anyone interested in accessing the names of the beneficiaries. What an audacity from the people employed by the community to serve! Traditionally, scholarship recipient lists are expected to be made public, fostering trust in the awarding institution and ensuring that those awarded scholarships meet the eligibility criteria and are authentic Esit Eket students in higher Institutions. By asking community members to apply for this information, they have sparked concerns over their motives behind this decision as many in the community feel that the application requirement is a veiled attempt to restrict access to information that should be freely available.

The requirement of applications by the members of the Trust is seen as a needless hurdle that restricts access to public information and has already eroded trust within the community. While still anticipating the Esit Eket Trust or the Education Renaissance sub-committee to publish the full report of the 2021 scholarship awards, moving forward, it is critical for the HCDT to adopt an open approach that allows community members to access such information without additional bureaucratic procedures.

This level of transparency is not merely a suggestion; it is an expectation from the Settlor, and the Trust is obligated by the provisions of PIA to fulfill this responsibility promptly. The community deserves to be informed and engaged, ensuring that the Trust operates in a manner that reflects its commitment to the principles of accountability, transparency, and leadership that were established at its inception.

Comrade Unwana Assam is a journalist, publisher of Newsline9ja Blog, good governance advocate and writes from Idung Uya Ntak Inyang in Esit Eket
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