By DESTINY Isinwa
Following the speculation on social media that the President General of Assa autonomous community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA, Comr. Evans Reward has gone into hidden over an alleged attack on some Imo state government officials, the Assa Town Union and stakeholders have refuted the speculation.
They made their stand known yesterday in Owerri while briefing journalists over what transpired and they described the social media speculation as calculated attempt to blackmail the leadership of the Assa Town Union even as the President General accounted that: “My attention was drawn to an online publication dated 6th July 2025 that me, the PG of Assa Autonomous Community has gone into hiding, over alleged hiring thugs who beat and attempted to kidnap government officials on duty at a location where Waltersmith is doing drilling.
“My response to this is that the current Town Union President of Assa was informed by the villagers that there was an issue in the aforementioned date, that some set of individuals/Association called HOSCON came in to disturb the drilling activities in the community, mostly in Umuobi of Assa. So the Town Union President and his team, the Youth President and other executive members, drove to the point where they met the HOSCON members.
“The team of HOSCON who came from the Ministry of Niger Delta to investigate land disputes between two factional Kindreds without prior notice to the community leadership; traditional ruler, the town union, even the Local Government Chairman of Ohaji Egbema. So we approached them and asked who they were, they gave us an identity cards bearing HOSCON Chairman and members. Some of them were also staff of ISOPADEC.
“So we told them that the activity they came in for does not warrant HOSCON to meddle into the affairs of the community as the community has its leadership and so they should leave the environment. Low and behold, we have 8 security men, and 5 soldiers within that camp axis, the Community Relations of WalterSmith and others from WalterSmith were all present when the people left gently and entered their vehicle, and they left to another location at Adapalm owned by Seplat. On the evening of the same day, we got an information that they are circulating that the PG came with his executive members to beat them up, pick up there phones, and tore their clothes, and all that.
So it is important that the people understand that the leadership of Assa community is peaceful, a community that has over 6 to 7 oil and gas companies in Imo State. We also recall that this same set of HOSCON has sent several letters to most of the oil companies operating in Assa community demanding them to appear before their office, that they are in charge of oil and gas in Imo State. I have sent this invitation to the Ministry of Petroleum, to the LGA Chairman of Ohaji/Egbema to caution this set of association that does not exist in either Assa community or in Ohaji/Egbema. But to our greatest surprise, the HOSCON lying under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Intelligence being headed by the Honourable Commissioner of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Intelligence, to meddle into the activities of companies in Assa community.”
“Few months ago, investors called Hamakan who are into CNG gas came in to acquire land in Assa community to set up a company in Assa for CNG operation, the same HOSCON intercepted them, and warned them not to interfere in dealing with Assa Community without first of all meeting them as the people who are in charge of oil and gas in Imo State.
“We want the public to disregard the information that the Town Union President has been insulting the governor of the day, am like a son of the governor. I am a PG and I was appointed by the government of the day, on this note, there was never a time I insulted the state Governor, or any member of my leadership insulted the government of the day over any issue, and there has never been any time the leadership of Assa Community intercepted or beat any government official coming into Assa community. So I want the people to understand that the information going viral is from those who want to label my leadership and personality, and I see them as anti-government. The public should disregard the information and I am not hiding, neither am I on the run, as am part of this government.”
Further speaking, Youth President of Assa Autonomous Community, Egbula Chibuzo said “Hon. Henry Okafor has been stressing and sabotaging the activities of oil companies in Assa. He has written several letters to oil companies threatening them to come to his office before operating in Assa, and any oil company that does not come to his office, he will shut them down. And we have asked the HOSCON people what the problem is, and they said the oil companies in Assa must come to their office before any other thing. And for we refusing them not to go to their office,they will deal with us. And that is exactly what they are trying to do by blackmailing the leadership of the Assa community. Hon. Henry Okafor has been using his agent to make oil companies to shiver, threatening them for them to leave the community. The governor should please talk to Henry Okafor to leave the leadership of the community alone. The president General is not on the run.”
The Director of Social for Assa Town Union, Comrade Victor Ifurueze said “for somebody to have come up to say that our PG is on the run, such information is barbaric, it is formed to deceive the public. I want to let the public to know that our PG is not on the run. It is a fabrication from the pit of hell. On that note, I want to specifically call on the state government to call Henry Okafor the Commissioner for Niger Delta Affairs to order. Yes he is from Oguta, but Oguta and Ohaji Egbema are sisters LGA, so we feel pained that he is inciting crisis in Assa. We feel pained that our own brother who ought to be working in line with the directive of the State government is now doing everything possible to destabilize the progress that the oil companies have been making in Assa. The leadership of Assa will not seat down, and watch them draw the name of the community to the mould.”
Umah Kingsley who is a landlord from
Umuokoroka and Member of Umuokoroka Contact Team clarified that “I want to tell you all that Umuokoroka is peaceful, we don’t have any issues with WalterSmith oil company. They have paid us, and we have an agreement with them. It was unfortunate that last week we got an information from our people that there are people called HOSCON and have come to distract the activities of the rig at Umuokoroka land. Those people they came without informing the leadership of the community. We went there and told them to leave the place, and peacefully they left. I plead with the government to tell Hon. Henry to stop instigating crisis in Assa community, which is peaceful, and will remain peaceful.”
A stakeholder from the community, Chief David Egbula who was the President General of the Assa Autonomous Community hinted that “It’s important to know that Assa an oil bearing community has leadership and all issues patterning to oil and its exploration and drilling in Assa is being handled by Assa community and supervised by the Ministry of Petroleum. It’s worthy of note that before this particular rig move, Assa community has sharing formula of 60/40 %. 60% to the community on all issues and 40% to the land owners on all issues patterning to job slots, sub-contracts and other benefits. Therefore, we make bold to say that the leadership of the community headed by the President General is not on the run and can not be on the run.
“The Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma loves Assa Autonomous community as Assa is one of the Community he has visited more than once which shows his love for Assa Community and the Town Union Executive being so appointed by the Governor through his Local Government Chairman, can not and will not as it’s inconsistent with our character to abuse the Governor. Anybody who says the Town Union abused the governor should produce such video record where such statements were made. Hence they can not, we can now see that these are fabricated lies, these are instigators of trouble, these are people who want to create confusion in Assa Community.
“We also wish to state categorically clear that the activities of Ministry of Niger Delta through HOSCON is sabotaging the activities of the Governor in making sure that all the oil companies in Assa have a conducive environment to operate, giving that we’re sure that Assa is peace loving and will remain loyal to the Governor, we will ensure that the Governor’s policies of making sure that Assa and Imo State will develop through these oil companies are implemented. We can not sabotage a government we’re part of.
We’re saying that these activities are unbecoming of a Honourable Commissioner in the person of Dr. Henry Okafor, and we’re calling for people to disregard this falsehood and the government should call him to order.
“We’re seeing this HOSCON for the first time. All oil activities in Assa goes through Ministry of Petroleum, all land acquisition in Assa goes through the Ministry of Land and this HOSCON is an intruder. They are not officials from the government, they are made up of some touts who are hired from the streets to cause mayhem, disrupt this oil companies and ensure sabotage of the State government.” He stated.
Speaking with the Commissioner of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Intelligence, Hon. Henry Okafor, on phone, he revealed that “the only thing I understand is that some people from Assa wrote petition to my office that WalterSmith is on their land and they have not paid them, we invited WalterSmith and WalterSmith acknowledged that they will go to Assa and if the operation includes part of their land, they will pay those people. That is what I know. That meeting was between WalterSmith and petitioners, my office is responsible for host communities and oil companies affairs. My Ministry nominated three persons to go there and witness and they went there and some people mobilized youth to beat up the people that came for the supervision. He alleged.
Contacting the Imo State HOSCON Chairman, Engr. Chima Alvan Okereke he simply dismissed that Assa autonomous community is having problems with the Imo State Ministry Niger Delta Affairs and not HOSCON.
