Ogheneruona Tejiri—Effurun
Environmental Right Action/ Friends of the Earth, Nigeria has charged Oil Producing Communities to stand tall and hold the multinational oil companies operating in the area for adequate compensations for polluting their environment.
This was the subject of discussion at a one day summit titled:” Community CSO Engagement On Motives Behind International Oil Companies (IOC’)Divestment ,in Niger Delta held in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State.
In his presentation, Bar. Chima Williams, Executive Director, Environmental Right Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria and 2022 Golden Environmental Prize for Africa disclosed that the multi million naira oil companies embarked on divestment to cheat Niger Deltans as they sell their companies to indigenous people in order to escape their supposed responsibilities to them.
According to Chima, “when the divestment start taking place towards the end 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 turning 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 waters. Where we lack the capacity to monitor these activities of the Oil Companies in the ocean area so, they can continue to pollute our environment. “
On his part,Mr. Jonah Ogbodu, Coordinator, Kristal Kare Foundation, said that 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 Ogbodu,, “gas flaring has reduced the life span of the people as many people now suffer from blindness, cancer, miscarriages among women among others 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 compensation is paid to the various communities.
He said until consorted efforts are made by all, Niger Deltans would continue to suffer amidst abundant natural resources.
Also speaking, Chief Omafume Amurun, a renowned Journalist, Environment Impact Assessment Analyst and reporter, Chief Omafume said that some Niger Deltans collude with the government to work against the interest of the people just as he said government uses divide and rule tactics to suppress the people hence it is possible for multinational companies to pollute the environment without adequate compensation.
According to Chief, “multinational companies use propaganda to confuse the people and they (people) begin to fight one another in order for them to achieve their(companies) aims of exploration and the exploitation of the communities.”
He said that while the youths are fighting one another on who gets what and at what percentage from the oil companies, the oil companies are carrying out operations with ease
According to Chief Omafume, , “oil companies use propaganda to confuse us. We don’t look at the long term effect of the oil exploration; adding, “many of the communities are suffering. The oil companies act as if without their companies, we can not eat and it looks as if, before they came, we were not eating”.
Cbief Omafume cautioned the youths not to fight one another in name of what they will get from oil companies just as he said the people 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 cannot 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 the women cannot engage in farming activities as there are no lands for them due to the actions of the multinational companies which, according to her, lead to malnutrition and ill health adding, when most of the women can not feed well, provide for their children’s education this in turns make their children drop out from school, among others.
She added, “when the domestic companies inherit the multinational companies, they cannot meet up with the obligations 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.
