Unending Oil Spillage War
The Niger Delta which holds petroleum, Nigeria’s biggest export earner is like a cow. But there is a big difference between the region and that herbivore. Whereas the animal is fed enough fodder, to at least make it fecund and fresh enough to produce milk, the Niger Delta gets only pittance that is not commiserate with its status as Nigeria’s highest oil producer.
Onome Osekhabamen
If the region had just the problem of unjust distribution of its oil wealth to contain with, the complaints would probably have been hushed. But the sight of crude oil floating on water, dead aquatic suffocated to death by poisonous oil spills and land going barren as a result of continuous oil pollution has strain left the people more disgusted than glad about the huge quantity of oil buried in their soils. Oil exploration experts, geologist and earth scientists have continuously warned that the plundering of the Niger Delta through petroleum exploration portends danger for the people. The warnings seem to go without harkening. And the oil-bearing earth of Ondo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, AkwaIbom, Edo, Cross River, continue to suffer despoliation.
A Litany of Oil Spills
Oil companies often complain of vandalisation of their facilities as a major cause of spillage in their areas of operation. Concerned organisations often counter this claim, questioning the security of the facilities. Poor adherence to rules of ethical exploration has been fingered in the widespread oil spills that occur in the Delta. Rust, neglect and abandonment of facilities by oil companies are in the mix of factors responsible for the problem.
The International watchdog, Amnesty International estimates that more than 500 oil spillages occurred in the Niger Delta in 2014. The Royal Dutch Shell and ENI, the Italian company account for the biggest share of the hazard pepetrated in the area. A researcher with the A.I, Mark Dummet, reported said “Last year Shell reported 204 separate oil spills, while ENI – which operates in a smaller area – reported 394 spills. The number of oil spills occurring in the Niger Delta is really disturbing.”
A few incidences of crude oilspills in the Niger Delta will suffice:
In November, 1999, oil spills in Amusia, Rivers state of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. Within the same period, Chevron’s oil spilled in Ilaje in Ondo state, causing serious damage to aquatic and land resources.
In June, 2001, Shell’s oil spillage caused a disaster in Ogbudu. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, oil spilled in Adeje, an Urhobo community, in 2000
Earlier in January 2000, the Environmental Rights Action reported NNPC’s leaking pipes at Adeje.
Shell’s abandoned facilities in Ogoni were responsible for oil spill in the area. Earlier in 1999, there was an oil spill in Barrale, a community in Ogoniland, Benue State.
In October 2001 and January 2002, Shell’s oil spills in Bille, Rivers state. These are just instances of the last decade. The degradation wrought on the environment in the area in this decade is appalling.
Earlier this year, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, reportedly agreed to pay 84 million dollars as compensation to the people of Bodo for the massive havoc done their land as a result of oil spills. The company’s managing director,MutiuSunmonu had noted that “From the outset, we’ve accepted responsibility for the two deeply regrettable operational spills in Bodo.” The indemnity followed a legal battle brought against the company by some 15,600 fishermen in the community.
One major controversy that remains is Shell’s claim to cleaning up the environment based on the report of the 2011 report of the United Nations Environmental programm, UNEP. Early in November, Amnesty International and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development CEHRD said they were jointly preparing a document that will put a lie to Shell’s claim about the clean-up exercise. The report, they said will demonstrate how the oil giant has either failed to remove the spillage or has executed the task so poorly, hence leading to further damage to the environment.
A statement by the Amnesty international press officer in Nigeria, EuletteEwart said the campaign is to ensure compliance with best practices; it was calling on Shell to fix the damage that has ruined villages and their sources of livelihoods for a long time. The report which is set to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the killing of the Niger Delta most prominent environmental campaigner, Ken Saro-Wiwa is titled: ‘Shell’s broken promises’.
“On the 1,0th of November, 2015 the anniversary was marked by candlelit vigils in Nigeria and protests outside Shell petrol stations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands…Photographs and video footage of oil spills, photographs and testimony from the people of the Niger Delta communities affected by oil spills, as well as footage of vigils held for Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 would be available,” Ewart’s statement read in part.
The event has come and gone. It is still uncertain if the oil firm will solve this problem that it caused. Concerned individuals are watching to see if the firm will navigate its way through lays of corrupt government officials as it has always done or face the job or fixing the damage.
Sources of Livelihood Up In Smoke
The Niger Delta accounts for just a paltry seven percent of Nigeria’s land mass. Yet, until recently, global attention was fixed on it. Any form of instability in the region cause unrest in major capitals across the world. Violence which had replaced the people’s patience put the Nigerian government and oil companies under tremendous cosh. Here is why.
Before oil became the main source of income, the people were mainly subsistent farmers. Others were fishermen while the rest embraced trading. As time progressed, a lot more people acquired education. But the oil, which has been described as a scourge has threatened these sources of income without limit. Health challenges have also accelerated in the affected areas as a result of petroleum spillages. Poor eyesight, headaches and disease resulting from contaminated water have been reported.
While the nation’s prospered from the misused Niger Delta oil, the region itself became more pauperized. Fishermen naturally lost their jobs, thank s to poisonous oil spills. Oil companies caused friction among communities by operating through cartels with pittances as corporate social responsibilities, thus setting one set of kindred against the other. Youths armed with various degrees could not nick jobs nor sustain a livelihood. These became the natural fodder for the militancy that plagued the Niger Delta from 1998 to the 2008 or thereabout. One international news channel captures the situation in the Niger Delta thus: “The impacts of oil spills on the Niger Delta are devastating: Mangrove forests are being obliterated, fish and shellfish are dying off, and whole ecosystems are collapsing.” An expert on the research on the activities of oil companies in the area told the medium that the havoc done to the ecosystem as well as the people’s source of living is unquantifiable. Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s director in-charge of Global Issues said the amount level of damage is great and could cause a major shakeup elsewhere. “These figures are seriously alarming. ENI has clearly lost control over its operations in the Niger Delta. And despite all its promises, Shell has made no progress on tackling oil spills. In any other country, this would be a national emergency. In Nigeria it appears to be standard operating procedure for the oil industry. The human cost is horrific – people living with pollution every day of their lives,” the activist was quoted as saying.
Integrated reports by various organisations indicate clearly the kidnapping, restiveness, brigandage and other social vices resulted prominently from the neglect suffered by the youths, despite the presence of oil companies that are raking up billions of dollars from their land.
These conditions caused a chasm between host communities and oil companies. Vandalisation resulted from the near fair treatment of the people by oil explorers. In Ogoniland for example, relations between the community and SPDC had degenerated to all-time low to a point that the conglomerate was warned to stay away from its oilfields. There have been coverage of similar disagreements in many places.
And Tokenistic Palliatives
Perhaps, it was the rising wave of volatility of the Niger Delta that compelled the administration of the late President, Umar Musa Yar’Adua to proclaim an Amnesty Programme to cater for the youths in the area. That too has suffered several hiccups, with analysts questioning the models used in implementing the programme.
Beside amnesty for the militant youths, the Federal government created a ministry of the Niger Delta to solve problems exclusively affecting the area. This followed the earlier establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission which served as an interventionist agency to solve the age-old problem of poor social infrastructure in the area. Again, opinions are divided as to how well this organisation has performed more than a decade after it was created.
On relations with the oil producing communities and the government, the case of Ogoni easily comes to mind. The Federal government has several times served as an interface between communities and oil companies so as to allow crude oil flow through pipelines. Shell workers at Nigeria’s Bonga oil field in the southern Niger Delta were recently evacuated following a threat from militants. The Bonga Field is an oilfield in Nigeria. It was located in License block OPL 212 off the Nigerian coast, which was renamed OML 118 in February 2000. The field covers approximately 60 km² in an average water depth of 1,000 meters. It was discovered in 1996.They started production in November 2005.They are Partners with Royal dutch shell, Exxonmobile, Total S.A,Eni. The development led to the evacuation of workers which was done in categories, Shell said earlier that oil output was continuing at its oil fields in Nigeria despite local militant attack near its Bongafacilities.”Our operations at Bonga are continuing,” a spokesman for Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Co. (SNEPCo) said in a statement. It said it would continue to monitor the security situation in its operating areas and take all possible steps to ensure the safety of staff and contractors. Militants have also attacked a Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) platform in the Delta where tensions have been building up since authorities issued an arrest warrant in January for a former militant leader on corruption charges. Nigerian President MuhammaduBuhari has said there would be a crackdown on “vandals and saboteurs” in the Delta region, which produces most of the country’s oil. A group known as the Niger Delta Avengers claimed responsibility for the Chevron attack. The same group has said it carried out an attack on a Shell oil pipeline in February which shut down the 250,000 barrel a day Forcados export terminal.Residents in the Delta have been demanding a greater share of oil revenues. Crude oil sales account for around 70% of national income in Nigeria but there has not been much development in the poor Delta region. Various state governments in the region have established agencies to cater for immediate communities where oil is drilled. Delta State for example has Delta Oil Producing Communities Commission, DESOPADEC. Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa have existing agencies of similar nature. Despite shortcomings, they have tried to ameliorate the challenges faced by the poor communities. Under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, government supported the Petroleum Industry Bill, a piece of legislation which among other things intended to give more consideration to oil producing communities in the distribution of wealth accruing from that resource. The bill suffered defeat in the National Assembly, as it was never passed before the lifespan of that Assembly elapsed. In recent weeks, there has been pressure on the new set of lawmaker in Nigeria’s bi-camera legislature to pass the bill into law whenever President MuhammaduBuhari decides to send it back to them.
As far as revamping the ecosystem is mark by his order that action be accelerated to clean up Ogoniland. In August, he approved mechanisms that could fast-track the cleaning up of oil petroleum spills in Ogoni. The template is said to meet the standards prescribed by the UNEP report which has been concerned, President Buhari has scored the highest gathering dust on the table for a long time. A report said the Nigerian leader approved the constitution of the Pollution Restoration Project, HYPREP, to reflect “A framework comprising a Governing Council, a Board of Trustees and Project Management.” The Governing Council, the directive said should comprise of representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Federal Ministry of Environment, affected states, oil companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Others will be representatives from Ogoniland and representatives from the United Nations System.
While this was thought to be resources, time and energy consuming, it was unclear how far this pronouncements will beactualized. After years of delay, the Vice-President YemiOsinbajo recently launched the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the clean-up of Ogoniland and impacted areas of the Niger Delta, but warned that the federal government would no longer tolerate oil theft and illegal refineries in the region.The Rivers State Governor NyesomWikereiterated his commitment for the successful clean-up of the area.Osinbajo while delivering the President’s speech expressed regrets that oil exploration and production in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta region had negatively affected the ecosystem.
Giving an insight into what gave rise to militancy in the region, Osinbajo on behalf of Buhari said: “The various communities in the Niger Delta region, noting the negative impact of oil production and lack of consideration for best practices, quite rightly commenced the struggle for justice and fair play in the conduct of business by oil industry operators.
“This, unfortunately, led to the loss of lives and property. International concern was raised while past governments were urged to take decisive steps to address the issue.”“We are determined to right the wrongs of the past, where the people of this land were treated unfairly and their environment unduly degraded,” Osinbajosaid.The clean-up of this land will require change on the part of all those who deal with the Niger Delta environment, particularly the oil companies and our communities.
He warned: “Let me seize this opportunity to sound a note of warning that the current oil theft and illegal refining will not be tolerated. The regulators of the oil industry must live up to expectations. They must ensure that oil companies carry out their operations in line with universal best practices.”
He said the administration was laying a foundation for change, adding: “The government places a high emphasis on the diversification of our economy. This is to ensure that our economy is strong and capable of supporting our teeming young people through job and wealth creation.”
Conclusion
Whatever big dreams the Niger Delta people had when oil was discovered in their area in 1956, those have been contaminated with tinges of nightmare. Nothing is more evident than the developmental sclerosis in the area. Environmental and rights activist believe that if government moves away from enacting tokenistic interventions into concrete developmental plans, those dreams may for once lead to a better life for the impacted communities. They hold that concerted effort must be made to give the environment a new lease of life. Total transformation of the living standard they believe, can be achieved by ensuring proper distribution of resources earned from petroleum. Massive investment in qualitative education, healthcare delivery, support for small and medium scale businesses and genuine technology transfer in the oil business have been identifies as veritable ways of complementing the cleaning exercise carried out in the affected areas. It is left to be seen whether there is sufficient political will by the government to embark on these measures.
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