By Samuel Ogude(Warri)
A Non- governmental Organization under the auspices of Environmental Right Action/ Friends of the Earth, Nigeria has charged the different Oil Producing Communities to stand tall and hold the multinational oil companies operating in their area for adequate compensations for polluting their environment just as the body charged the multinational companies not to hide under the guise of divestment not to compensate the oil producing communities for the negative impact of their Oil Exploration and Exploitation of their host communities over the years.
This was the subject of discussion in today’s summit titled:” Community CSO Engagement On Motives Behind IOCS Divestment In Niger Delta held in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State. In his presentation, the Executive Director of Environmental Right Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria and 2022 Golden Environmental Prize for Africa, Barr. Chima Williams said, international oil companies embarked on divestment to cheat Niger Deltans as they sell their companies to indigenous industries in order to escape their supposed responsibilities.
He said:” When the divestment started taking place towards the end of 2021 and early 2022, we felt that this is abnormal and we did internal analysis of the situation. We discovered that the concept of divestment was being turned upside down. Whereas, in global setting, the issue of divestment is removing public funds from private business but what we have in Nigeria is multinational selling off their investments … they are moving to shallow water.. Where we lack the capacity to monitor the activities of the Oil Companies in the ocean area so that, they can continue to pollute our environment..”
On his part, the Co-ordinator, Kristal Kare Foundation, Mr. Jonah Gbemre said the multinational companies have impoverished Niger Deltans as their exploration and exploitation which have resulted into gas flaring have impacted negatively on the people. According to him, gas flaring has reduced the life’s span of the people as many them now suffer from blindness, cancer, miscarriages among women, among others. He said, due to the activities of the oil companies, poverty is in the land because many of the fishes have died, lands for agriculture have been taken over by the oil companies yet, no adequate compensations are paid to the various communities. He said until consorted efforts are made by all, Niger Deltans would continue to suffer amidst abundant natural resources.
On his part, a renowned Journalist, Environment Impact Assessment Analyst and reporter, Chief Omafume Amurun said some Niger Deltans collude with the government to work against the interest of the people just as he said, government use divide and rule tactics to suppress the people hence , it is possible for multinational companies to pollute the environment without adequate compensations. According to the Ekpan Chief, multinational companies use propaganda to confuse the people and they (people) begin to fight themselves in order for them to achieve their(companies) aims of exploration and the exploitation of the communities ,this, he condemned in strong terms.
He said while the youths are fighting themselves over who gets what and at what percentage from the oil companies, the oil companies are carrying out their operations with ease.
He said:”Oil companies use propaganda to confuse us. We don’t look at the long term effect of the oil exploration of these companies., many of the communities are suffering. The oil companies act as if without them, we can not eat and it looks as if, before they came, we were not eating..” He cautioned the youths not to fight one another in name of what they will get from oil companies just as he said, they should not collude with the government to work against themselves saying, at the end of the day, the unborn generation of Niger Deltans would suffer.
On her part, Founder, Development Initiative For Communities Impact, Dr. Rachael Misan Ruppee said, divestment has negative impacts on the women as the domestic companies can not afford to pay what is due for the women in the various communities whereas, most women are heads of household. According to her, many of women can not engage in farming activities as there are no lands for them due to the actions of the multinational companies, which according to her, have led and still lead to malnutrition and ill health. According to her, when most of the women can not feed well, provide for their children’s education, that in turns, lead to their children’s drop out from schools, among others.
She said: When the domestic companies inherit the multinational companies, they can not meet up the obligation left behind by these multinational companies hence there would always be problems”. The discussants therefore advocated for Niger Deltans to stand firm to ensure that the International Oil Companies stand to their responsibilities in this regard. The high-points of the programme were questions and answer sessions.