- Calls Ogoni cleanup programme failed project
- Urges FG to address compensation issue in region
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) has warned that it, alongside other stakeholders will resist the British energy giant, Shell PLC, exit from the Niger Delta following its announcement of selling off its operations in Nigeria’s onshore oil and gas sector to a consortium of mostly Nigerian companies, without clean up of the environment and payment of compensation to the affected communities.
“As environmentalists and stakeholders of the Niger Delta, we have only one option, we are calling on the federal government to do the needful but if the government fails, we will institute a suit restraining the sales of those assets, which we have already commenced the process. Because, until these things are done, we will not allow Shell to exit our land until the proper cleanup is done”,
National Coordinator for CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade, stated this on Tuesday while addressing a press conference in Abuja.
According to him, CEPEJ, a foremost environmental and peace advocacy group in the Niger Delta region, there’s need for President Bola Tinubu’s administration federal government of Nigeria to to save Niger Delta environment from further degradation as a result of oil spills, illegal bunkering and oil theft held in Abuja
He pointed out that there is an immediate need to resolve the concerns in a cooperate buy out like this and in line with best practices as obtained in other climes.
He went on to say that while they are not shocked, they are however, taken aback by the recent sales of the onshore facilities assets of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to an indigenous oil company headed by Renaissance and four other companies.
Mulade, said it was regrettable, that Nigeria is the only country on the planet that will allow a multinational oil giant to devastate its ecology and ecosystem and withdraw its investment without facing consequences.
He emphasised that the region has been completely destroyed by SPDC, all without any intentions to repair the ecological harm and ecological degradation that their exploratory efforts have produced.
“We would want to strongly appeal and advise the federal government led by president Bola Tinubu and the new buyers i.e the indigenous oil firms to equally consider buying the onshore liabilities as well left by the SPDC if they wish to operate peacefully in the region,” Mulade said.
According to him, “Over the years, the Niger Delta has borne the brunt of environmental degradation resulting from Shell’s oil and gas exploration activities. The overall well-being cannot be overstated.
“Consequently, we implore Mr president as the custodian of our nation’s interests, to address the following: “Compensate communities affected by Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta region. We urge your the administration to ensure fair and just compensation for irreversible damage caused to their lands, water sources, and ecosystems.
“The proposed sale if Shell onshore assets Mus include stringent provisions for addressing existing liabilities. These provisions should guarantee that the new owners assume responsibility for mitigating and rectifying environmental damage and restoring the affected communities ecosystem.
“Allocate a portion of the proceeds from the sale towards comprehensive community development initiatives. These initiatives should focus on sustainable projects that enhance education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic opportunities for the affected communities.
“Establish mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability in the entire process of the asset sale. The affected communities should be activity involved in the decision-making processes to safeguard there interests.”
The group appealed to federal government to give due consideration to these pressing matters and delay the approval of this transaction until the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta is addressed properly.
In the same vain, the national coordinator of CEPEJ, has accused Group Chief Executive Officer of the the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, of encouraging criminality by destroying evidence of oil theft in the Niger Delta as well as damaging the region.
Reacting to Kyari’s admittance that NNPCL destroyed more than 5,500 unauthorized refineries and nearly 4,500 illegal pipeline connections over the last three years, Mulade said it was against environmental bear practices world over.
Kyari, at the 2024 lecture held at the Faculty of Science in the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State with the titled:”Energy security, sustainability and profitability in Nigeria: Advances, Challenges and opportunities” had highlighted pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, as well as rapid population growth, as the main challenges to energy security in the West African country.
He said while it is not surprising to learn of the statistical breakdown as released by the national oil firm (NNPCL) in the course of their siege against oil theft and vandalism in the region, it is gladdening to know that these revelations are not only coming to light duly certified by the government, giving credence to “our long stand of the massive, colossal degradation that has been ongoing for years in the Niger Delta region.
“However, it is pertinent to mention that NNPCL and the Nigerian security agencies saddled with the responsibility of protecting oil installations in the region are encouraging criminality by the incessant destruction of stolen crude oil evidence, resultant oil spill carnage, thereby destroying aquatic and agrarian life style.
“The continuous destruction of the ecosystem and aquatic lifestyle has left the youths with no option than to engage in criminal activities for survival since the means of livelihoods is being destroyed as a result of the incessant oil spill, of largely fishing and crops farming.”
Asked to access the efforts by government to clean up Ogoni land, Mulade said: “Well, first and foremost, we will continue to commend the United Nations, who based on its report gave that opportunity for the cleanup of Ogoniland. But I can tell you authoritatively that that clean up to many of us who are environmentalist, is political. There’s nothing tangible on ground to write about. You can only see the clean up exercise and the process on document but o. The land of Ogoni, there’s nothing much. To many of us, we can describe it as a fail project to some extent.
“It will interest you to know that in the Niger Delta, there more areas that are more polluted than Ogoniland but the good thing is that the people of Ogoni took it upon themselves and have been able to push their case to the international level, and that is why we are talking about Ogoni. There areas that are more destroyed as a result of exploitation and exploration activities in the Niger Delta.”