By: Paul Kato
Worth Noting:
- Unfair compulsory land acquisitions: up to date the most of the families affected by the EACOP project are still un happy with the compensation because they unfair and inadequate, Presence of ghost landlords: the government and the oil companies up to now have failed to address the problem of the ghost landlords in greater Masaka mostly and others.
- The Minister for Energy and Mineral development should first stop issuing the licence to EACOP Company because a lot issues are still pending.
- According to petroleum-EDP –Act 2013 states very well that the government shall provide the Compensation for disturbance of rights.
At the beginning of July 4th 2022, the media reported about the government of Uganda and Tanzania commencing on the reviewing of the application for the construction license for the proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). In order bring on the development East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
The programme to review the application for the construction license was a good initiative but it came at the time when the government and the oil companies have not yet finished addressing the EACOP affected concerns. The long waiting problems of the PAPS should be addressed before approving the license for EACOP project because the moment the approves it means that the contractor will be able to implement the EACOP activities.
The application for license is a requirement under midstream ( pipeline , refinery) legislation, including the petroleum(refining, conversion, Transmission and midstream storage ) Act and the petroleum (Exploration, Development and production)Act.
It is noted that the Energy minister wants to issue a construction license for EACOP project before addressing the issues that the EACOP affected persons are grappling with for instance the delayed compensation. It is noted that since 2018 when the cut –off dates were placed on the EACOP PAPS , no one has been compensated in greater Masaka and most of the PAPS in Bunyoro sub region have also not been paid.
Unfair compulsory land acquisitions: up to date the most of the families affected by the EACOP project are still un happy with the compensation because they unfair and inadequate, Presence of ghost landlords: the government and the oil companies up to now have failed to address the problem of the ghost landlords in greater Masaka mostly and others.
The Minister for Energy and Mineral development should first stop issuing the licence to EACOP Company because a lot issues are still pending.
According to petroleum-EDP –Act 2013 states very well that the government shall provide the Compensation for disturbance of rights.
For instance (1) states that A licensee shall, on demand being made by a land owner, pay the land owner fair and reasonable compensation for any disturbance of his or her rights and for any damage done to the surface of the land due to petroleum activities, and shall, at the demand of the owner of any crops, trees, buildings or works damaged during the course of the activities, pay compensation for the damage; but— (a) payment of rent to or compensation to a land owner for termination of his or her lawful occupancy shall be deemed to be adequate compensation for deprivation of the use of the land to which the rent or compensation relates.
Therefore, I call on the minister for energy and mineral development to respect the law as is planning to approve the licence for EACOP project and address the concerns of the EACOP affected PAPS before giving the out the EACOP construction license.
Paul Kato – the EACOP affected PAP.
Katop.adyeeri@gmail.com