Niger Delta oil communities to hold oil firms responsible for ecocide

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Oil and gas communities in the Niger Delta region have passed a resolution to hold oil and gas companies responsible for the six decades of environmental destruction in the area.

They also call on the Federal Government to compel oil and gas companies to honour all Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) and other agreements it entered into with host communities.

These were part of a ten-point communiqué issued after a one-day dialogue tagged: ‘Community Dialogue on Unmasking the Motives behind IOCs divestment in the Niger Delta’ organised by the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) over the weekend in Yenagoa.

The communiqué signed was signed by representatives of ERA/ FoEN,  Ikarama and Ikebiri communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area,  Otuabagi, Otuogidi communities in Ogbia Local Government Area, Sangana in Brass Local Government Area, and Nembe, Egberekiri and Okoroma communities in Nembe Local Government Area.

The participants agreed that the divestment processes have largely weakened local struggles for environmental justice and has equally divided communities.

According to the communiqué oil and gas communities should embrace the Leave the Oil the Soil campaign and also ensure the integration of the communities making them central focus of the ongoing divestment process.

The communiqué read in part: “Strengthening of communities and civil society struggles and voices for environmental justice through capacity building and awareness creation training. This should include peaceful engagement, sharing experiences and learning to engage the process.

“Need for demilitarization of Niger Delta communities that are legitimately agitating for a safe environment for their development

“Need for prioritization of women and women concerns in ongoing divestment discussions and decision-making

“Need for in-depth investigation and reportage of IOC Divestments and other underreported issues of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.”