Activists Slam Shell, Others At First Peoples Environmental Assembly

Major international oil companies operating in Nigeria including Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron, Total, and Eni came under heavy criticism from environmental activists at the First Peoples Environmental Assembly held in Port Harcourt.
The event, organized by We The People Centre for Social Studies and Development, brought together environmental rights advocates from Nigeria, South Africa, and Europe to discuss decades of oil pollution and the quest for justice in the Niger Delta.
The Executive Director of We The People, Mr. Ken Henshaw, accused the multinational oil companies of abandoning their responsibilities after 70 years of exploiting the Niger Delta and devastating its ecosystem.
“After extracting oil for decades and polluting the region, the international oil companies are now leaving without cleaning up the damage they caused,” Henshaw said.
“Instead of taking responsibility, they are blaming the victims. Shell, for instance, is divesting from its onshore operations because it can no longer manage the community problems it created.”
Henshaw condemned the oil majors for what he described as reckless and brutal exploitation, insisting that the companies had long refused to stop gas flaring.
“There are 178 gas-flaring points in the Niger Delta, releasing toxins that poison the people and their environment. Gas flaring causes cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other serious diseases. It’s the major cause of sickness in the region,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that Niger Delta communities were responsible for vandalism and oil theft.
“The communities don’t have that capacity. The pipelines are old and corroded,” he said.
Traditional ruler and university professor, Eze Chris Akani, lamented that despite decades of advocacy, the destructive practices of oil companies persist.
“Their methods have not only damaged the physical environment but also destroyed the social fabric of our communities,” he said.
“Oil-induced prostitution has increased, and the incidence of HIV/AIDS is higher in the Niger Delta because of oil activities.”
Akani also called for accountability among local collaborators aiding the oil companies.
“As members of the human rights community, we must demand environmental justice. If there are no laws, we must demand new ones,” he urged.
Condemning the widespread artisanal refining of crude oil, popularly called Kpofire, Akani described it as a dangerous and self-destructive practice.
“What kind of business is it that takes lives and destroys aquatic life in Choba, Oduoha, and Ibaa? We must clamour for our youths to be gainfully engaged,” he said.
A South African delegation at the event said they had come to learn from Nigeria’s experience as Shell recently began operations in their country.
“We are engaging them to see if they will behave differently from what they did in Nigeria,” the group said.
Environmental activist Evaristus Nicholas from Ahoada, Rivers State, called for collective resistance.
“If we keep silent, we are committing treason,” he declared.
Veteran environmental advocate Chief Constance Meju announced plans to establish a tribunal to try environmental offenders in the region. She accused the international media of underreporting the crisis.
“What is happening in the Niger Delta is ecocide. Our government is covering up for the oil companies. We need international collaboration to expose this,” she said.