Chief Michael Johnny is the outgoing chairman of the Chevron-sponsored Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF).

On  Friday, April 21, 2017, he  addressed a Press Conference in Warri, Delta State  on his four years tenure in the Foundation

According to him, the  GMoU is the only tried and tested instrument for the actualization of sustainable development in the Niger Delta region and reveals  that  projects implemented and managed by the RDC since inception of the GMoU in 2005 including the ongoing ones are about 119. Chevron, he says, has been forthright in its commitment to the GMoU and has kept faith with the process even in the period of attacks to its facilities by some elements. He says that the GMoU funding should not be left for Chevron alone because of the huge capital investment needed to transform Niger Delta communities and adds that Government and other IOCs and stakeholders should emulate Chevron in its genuine efforts to help in supporting development of the Niger Delta.

He says the Foundation  does not tolerate the activities of those communities threatening Chevron’s operations because of their demands for electricity and other amenities and implored them to  follow due process and properly engage with relevant stakeholders and channel their request to the government which promised the communities electricity.

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Tell us about your Regional Development Committee  –  Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF

We are called Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF.  Our organization is one of the Regional Development Committees established in 2005 following a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) between Chevron Nigeria Limited, the Delta  State Government and a cluster of  Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities which include Ogbudugbudu, Adagbarasa, Tsekelewu, Polobor Bloc A, Opuama Bl;oc A, Opuama main community, Benikrukru, Makaraba, Gbaramatu Bloc, Kokodiagbene, Kenyagbene, Okoyitoru, among others. Our vision is to create a peaceful and friendly operating environment for economic activities, wealth creation, human capital and infrastructure development.

What is this GMoU about?

The GMoU is a Community Engagement concept pioneered by Chevron Nigeria Limited in 2005. It is a tripartite agreement the company signed with Delta State government and the community clusters represented by the EGCDF. It aims to institute sustainability, partnership, transparency and accountability in the management of community development projects. Before then, the company was directly involved in executing community development projects in community neighboring its operations in the Niger Delta with the result that there was not sense of community ownership of these projects and no sustainability assurance in the whole process. With the GMoU, there is a sense of community ownership of the development process; there is transparency in the process; there is a level of partnership with government and other agencies and NGOs and our people are able to manage the funds from Chevron to execute useful community development projects and programs.

What benefits have your communities derived from the GMoU?

We have enjoyed a lot of benefits in terms of infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects; capacity building opportunities for the people, and more importantly, the GMoU has been instrumental to peace building in the communities. It has created a common front for unity in the communities and has brought accountability and transparency to bear in the community development process. In terms of projects, the EGCDF  has executed over 90 projects since the GMoU inception while others are ongoing. The projects are in the areas of health, water & sanitation, education, transport and economic empowerment. It is instructive to note that community contractors bid for these projects and execute them following well-established scoping and contract award process.

Are you saying that the people are satisfied with what you are doing?

To a large extent I will say yes. They are seeing the difference the GMoU has been making in sustainable livelihood of the community.  They have never had it so good. Our communities are being transformed through the GMoU process.

If the people are satisfied, why the agitation by some community stakeholders, particularly the people of Kokodiagbene that have been protesting against Chevron over electricity supply?

We are aware that not all the people will be satisfied. Again not all will appreciate the new order of transparency and accountability brought about by the GMoU.  But the GMoU remains a wonderful instrument for instituting sustainable community development in Niger Delta communities. The larger members of the society accept the GMoU and are enjoying the benefits of the model in terms of dividends of development. Like I said before, Kokodiagbene community is not the only community under the Chevron GMOU. When Former President Good luck Jonathan was in power, there was an arrangement by the Federal government to take electricity to all the communities around Escravos. That process is still. There are ways to go about this kind of issues. Chevron is not the federal government. The federal government has already put measures in place to supply electricity to all the riverside community and not onlyKokodiagbene community. My advice to Kokodiagbene community is for them to wait patiently and work with Chevron so that the federal government can execute its plan. If Chevron is forced to connect light to Kokodiagbene, other communities in that area will also protest to Chevron to also connect light for them. This is a very delicate situation because nobody has monopoly of violent. This is the reason why Americans do not negotiate with criminals. Yes, it is a good thing to protest that you want electricity, but it should be done in a peaceful manner if not things will go out of hand and I will not allow that to happen under my watch. Some of these protests are done for personal interest and not for the general good of the people.

Compared to the pre-GMoU era, what would you say have changed in the way you relate with CNL?

A lot. In fact the GMoU brought about community-driven process of achieving sustainable development. It brought about the principles of sustainability assurance, transparency and accountability. It is also helping to establish peace-building process and mitigating conflicts. Before the GMoU, there was no community ownership of the development process, but now the community owns and drives their development. The projects are scoped and executed by the community contractors under the GMoU unlike before.

How do you see the role of Government in this development process?

Government has a major role to play as a partner in the GMoU process. We are aware that provision of social amenities is the responsibility of government. But any company that embraces social responsibility and tries to sponsor community development should be encouraged. We want the governments at all levels and other development agencies such as NDDC, PADECs to emulate the GMoU. We would continue to look for areas of collaboration and partnership with the Government with a view to advancing development to our communities.

If I will advise the Government, I will recommend the GMoU as the right concept for developing the communities. GMoU is the answer to the problem of the Niger Delta. For instance, the  EGCDF has very small money compared to the local governments but we are able to do much in terms of  project execution.  In 2016, we  commissioned a number of projects. Recently, our RDC CEMB recently approved N800 million worth of projects  and my successor is going to have a busy time executing those projects. If the Federal, State and Local governments could complement the efforts of Chevron in the implementation of the GMOU, we can do in few years, what the government has not been able to do in the past 30 years. The beauty of GMOU is that it focuses on the people and their ability to manage themselves. It is a document that has been put in place for the common man and the local man.

What efforts do you make to secure funds from diverse sources for your projects execution?

It has been difficult getting funds from other sources. Chevron has remained the sole funder of the GMoU. However, we are committed to engaging governments at all levels  Local, State and Federal  to partner with the RDC and sponsor our projects. We are also seeking opportunities for collaboration with development agencies NDDC, PADECs to implement our projects/programs. It is not a bad idea for NDDC for instance to study the RDCs CD plan and pick projects from there to do for the communities. We will continue our advocacy for third party funding of the GMoU and collaboration with donor agencies locally and globally.

What are the major challenges facing your RDC?

Our major challenge is adequate funding. We also have the issue of government paying lip service to  GMoU implementation. We have government representatives in all our committees and the Community Engagement Management Board (CEMB) of the GMoU and yet, government has never deemed it fit to support what we are doing through funds or other collaborative efforts. We are also challenged by the limited knowledge of some of our communities representatives about the GMoU. We will continue to work these issues to see that the goals of the RDC are achieved.

What is the future of the GMoU and what should key stakeholders do to ensure sustainability of the process?

The GMoU is a World class community engagement model and it has come to stay. We are aware that the concept is being imitated by different organizations in Nigeria and globally and we highly recommend it as a framework for the development of Niger Delta Communities. We want the government to come out boldly and embrace the model because it is organized, transparent, effective and participatory. Instead of sinking money in several agencies that have not impacted communities significantly, government should endorse the GMoU concept. It should be emphasized that the GMoU should not be left for Chevron alone. With the present economic downturn, we know it is becoming increasing burdensome for the company to remain a sole funder of the GMoU. We seek support from all governmental organizations and NGOs to sustain the GMoU.

What new areas of development will your RDC focus on in the future?

I am leaving as I told you. However, I am aware that in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2030, our RDC will pay more attention to economic empowerment, human capital development/wealth creation, education etc. We have been focusing on infrastructure development ever since, this is the time to galvanize efforts towards meeting the needs of the communitys vulnerable/needy groups – women, unemployed youths, children etc. The RDC will work with governments, civil society and other partners to design and implement  programs to address the needs of these community members.

What is your take on the Federal Government idea of modular refinery and relocation of IOCs to the Niger Delta region?

If you have a stubborn son who is always causing trouble for you, the day that son will bring food to the house, you will forget that he is a stubborn son.  If all these agitations will ensure that the IOCs relocate to the region I am in support of it. I am in hundred percent in support that the IOCs should relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region because you can’t continue to use my oil to develop Lagos while my community is suffering. If you are collecting my oil I expect you to use the money to develop my community. If tomorrow the oil is finished we will be the ones to suffer the after effect of the oil exploration. This is why I said they should develop the oil producing communities. Empower the youths in the communities so that nobody can lure them to go and carry arms. Look at me for example, there is no amounts of money you will give me that will make me carry arms to go and fight. Empower the whole community and not a single individual. Those people producing the oil are supposed to be living larger than those who are not producing oil. There should be a difference in the way they live. This is the reason why they are taking advantage of the underdevelopment to cause problem all the time.

The modular refinery we are talking about should be monitored by the government. It should not be left in the hands of some powerful individuals in the communities. If it is left in the hands of few individuals, criminality will increase in the region.

What are some of the projects your have embarked on since your assume office as the chairman of the foundation?

There is no local government Area that can compete with us in terms of Project execution. We have projects in all the communities. But you will not see any project carried out by DESOPADEC or NDDC. I believe that it is only through a memorandum of understanding of this nature that the government of the day can develop these oil producing communities. You can see a lot of transparency and due process in play here. I cannot sign any project by myself. The government, Chevron and the community must be involved in all the projects to be executed. In the near future this RDC will be building bridges across the Niger Delta region.

Any regrets so far?

I have no regrets whatsoever because Al the trials I have passed through in life have prepared me for bigger task ahead.

What project could you describe as your legacy project as you are leaving?

I have just awarded about 19 projects and about five of them are almost completed as we speak. I have wanted to bring communication facilities into all the communities because once there is communication, there will be quick response when crisis arises. I feel pity for our 19 youths trainees that are supposed to be automatic staff in Chevron but have not yet been employed by Chevron because of the recession going on. I want the youths in the oil producing communities to be empowered so that they will not collect peanuts to go and bomb pipelines.  I believe the community will remember me for so many things. When I assumed leadership I met a dilapidated secretariat. But today I have been able to rehabilitate a befitting secretariat for my people. I have also left a legacy that politics cannot be brought into this RDC because it is a community project. Nobody is above the law here and we do not support pipeline vandalism. Anybody caught involved in the act will be handed over to the law enforcement agents. When I came in I met 91 projects on ground but today we have about 119 projects in place. I have also set a record that people should emulate, not only in the RDC but other organizations. Once you complete your tenure, you should leave office and handover to the next person without causing confusion.

Tell us some of the projects that EGCDF has accomplished since 2005

EGCDF has  accomplished the following since its inception in 2005: Over 90 projects have been completed and commissioned since 2005 including: 3 Health centers & 2 cottage hospitals, 2 jetties & 3 Walkways, one generator-powered electricity project, 10 generator and solar-powered water projects, 3 public toilets, Six numbers of 6-classroom blocks, 20 Teachers Quarters, 9 three bedroom bungalow, 2 Doctors and Nurses quarters, 1 shoreline protection project amongst others.

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