By Kelechi Nwaucha
Decades of environmental devastation in the Niger Delta, as a result of oil exploration activities, and subsequent destruction of the socio-economic lives of people in the region, have continued to be at the centre of calls for environmental justice and remediation.
These agitations for environmental justice heightened recently following moves by multinational oil companies operating in the region, notably Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to divest their onshore holdings in the country.
Thursday, at a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, women groups from oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta (Notably Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states) and civil society groups came together, under the aegis of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, to say ‘No’ to the ongoing divestments by the IOCs.
In a release signed by their representatives – Dr Emem Okon (executive director, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre), Glory Alexander (Alauchi Women Development Initiative, Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State), Patience Osaroejiji (Mba Okase Women, Eleme, Rivers State) Enighe Elo (Abua Women Association), Lezina Patrick (Coalition of Ogoni Women Development Initiative), Esther George (Otagbagi Women), Pius Dukor (Pius Dukor Foundation), Anthony Aalo (Kallop Environmental Centre), Henry Eferegbo (OLEGH) and Green Isaac of Relief International – the women groups and CSOs called on President Bola Tinubu “not to allow the planned sale of onshore oil and gas assets of Shell Petroleum Development Company, and other International Oil Companies, IOCs, without them restoring the region’s ecosystem.”
According to the release, read by Chief Constance Meju, on behalf of the groups, the community women and CSOs also called on the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara to wade into the matter, and obtain a court injunction to halt the sale of any assets belonging to the multinational firms in the state.
The groups rejected the divestment by the IOCs, and urged the federal government to mandate companies divesting their oil assets to commit to cleaning all polluted sites in the Niger Delta caused by their exploration activities and restore lost livelihood opportunities before any move.
Reading from the release, Meju said, “Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre and their allied community- based women organizations express profound dismay at the announcement by Shell to sell off their on-shore assets to investors without conducting necessary consultations with communities that have endured decades of environmental destruction from their operations.
“It has come to our attention that plans are ongoing by Shell PLC to sell their shares in Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to a consortium of investors, Renaissance Africa Energy. OML 34 had already been divested to ND Western; OML 17 and OML 29 have been divested without proper guidelines.
“Additionally, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Exxon Mobil Nigeria Limited, and Total Energies Nigeria Limited, are poised to divest all their onshore assets without engaging host communities and rectifying the damages done to the environment and the well-being of peoples. They are attempting to evade responsibility!
“As affected women in the Niger Delta, we are deeply concerned about the swift nature of these divestment plans, as the government has not provided guidelines to ensure the resolution of pollution issues before SPDC, AGIP, and Total Energies depart. The corporations involved have failed to establish women development funds to support those who have borne the consequences of their oil extraction activities.”
The women decried that, “In the Niger Delta, women bear the brunt of oil exploitation, facing deprivations due to environmental degradation. They play vital roles in securing the family’s subsistence income through agricultural activities, processing farm produce, and engaging in trade. The ecological degradation caused by oil extraction forces women to navigate polluted swamps for their economic activities, leading to a decline in crop yields and increased poverty.
“We, the women, are in the dark regarding the reputations of the new companies acquiring the assets of Shell, AGIP, and Exxon Mobil. We implore the government, whom we hold in high esteem, not to approve the divestment plans until polluted farmlands are cleaned up and restored by these companies.
“Gas flares persist in Ebocha, Ibeno, Umuechem, and other areas, with communities like Otuabagi still grappling with the impacts of oil extraction. Farming, fishing, and hunting have been severely affected, leading to health problems among women exposed to hydrocarbons.
“This divestment is not in the interest of the community people, and we condemn the attempt by International Oil Corporations to shirk responsibility under the guise of selling assets. We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure no divestment without ecosystem restoration!
“The government must mandate companies divesting their oil assets to commit to cleaning all polluted sites in the Niger Delta and restoring lost livelihood opportunities,” they said.
Fielding questions on what are the oil-bearing communities’ reaction to the ongoing divestments, a community leader from Gokana (Ogoni) in Rivers State, Comrade Pius Dukor, who is also president of Pius Dukor Foundation, said “we need to sensitive the people in authority so that they know the problems we are having. This is one of the key steps we are taking.
“You know that communities are not as buoyant as oil companies. We don’t have the military, we don’t have the wherewithal in terms of fighting. So, we are not fighting a physical fight.
“So, we are collaborating with others to get them to look at our plight, our problems,” he said.
Dukor however noted that “aside from this collaboration to sensitise and call on government and others, there are other things communities are planning in case they (IOCs) violate. But we will not say them now.”
Another community leader, from Emohua, Henry Eferegbo, said “As communities, we have undertaken to raise alarm that these companies are divesting and running away, leaving their responsibilities for other companies that may not be able to take care of them.”
Eferegbo, who is also of OLEGH, said, “the saddest thing that we heard is that She’ll and others are divesting to special purpose vehicles, that is companies that you can not hold to account.
“We are calling on the state government to wade into the matter. As Rivers people, Niger Delta people, it is incumbent on all the governors of the Niger Delta to save the lives of their people by calling on these companies not to divest, and asking them to restore the environment, restore the health of the people and restore their livelihood before they can divest,” he said.
