By Itoro Etti

A report published by Orange Newspapers indicates that the Eket EMOIMEE Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) received approximately 7.4 billion naira between January and July 2026 under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

That figure is enormous by any standard and raises an important question.

what tangible impact has this money made in the communities it was meant to serve?

Eket has schools that require urgent intervention, health centres in need of rehabilitation and communities still grappling with inadequate infrastructure. One example is Esit Urua Village, an oil-producing community whose contribution to the nation’s oil economy makes the question of development even more compelling.

The Host Communities Development Trusts were established to promote the development of oil-producing communities through projects and programmes that improve their social and economic wellbeing.

Therefore, the conversation should not simply be about how much money has been received, but what has been achieved with it.

Politicians are often blamed when communities lack basic infrastructure or when development funds do not appear to translate into visible projects.

But in the case of the HCDT, the governance structure is not simply an extension of a political office. So, if 7.4 billion has indeed been received within seven months, the people deserve to know.

How much has been spent?

What projects have been completed?

Where are they located?

How much remains in the Trust’s account?

And what is the development plan for the remaining funds?

This is not necessarily an accusation against anyone, not at all but a legitimate demand for transparency, accountability and measurable impact.

The real question is not whether billions have been allocated, but can the people of Eket point to projects and say, “This is what our 7.4 billion has done for us”?

As we proceed, we will ask even more questions concerning the collective patrimony of the people.