Niger Delta Stakeholders Urge IOCs To Clean Up Polluted Environment Before Divesting

Niger Delta Stakeholders have called on the International Oil Companies operating in the region planning to move to off-shore in the name of divestment to make sure that they clean up the mess (pollution) they left on the environment through oil and gas exploration before they divest.
The people recently in Yenagoa, when a group known as Dataphyte, organised a stakeholders meeting to ascertain the level of damage done to the land and to the people as the oil companies move away from land to the sea.
Mr. Warder Benjamin from Ikarama Community and President, Yenagoa Federated Youth Council, in his response, stated that they were clamouring for a clean divestment process.
He disclosed that the oil companies cannot leave their responsibilities for the community folks asking, “You are divesting, who is going to take responsibility.”
“We are saying that SPDC or NAOC who are divesting, should carry out their liabilities of cleaning up the environment and remediation before they divest.”
Also Okala Precious from Elebele Community in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State, in his remarks called on local governments, the state and the federal government with all the multinationals within the environment to rise up to the task of ensuring that “our environments are no longer polluted adding that the people of Niger Delta are giving so much to the multi nationals and the federal government without having anything to show for it.”
“Instead of having that blessing, we are rather dying off. We want to call on them to please put the people of Niger Delta first before their personal aggrandizement,” he said.
Dr Mrs Aziba Arogo from Otuokpoti Community also of Ogbia Local Government Area disclosed that research has shown that there are toxins and traces of petrochemicals in the breast milk of women of the region.
She continued, “We also have issues of women being attacked when they go out for fishing and to pick their periwinkles. We are also having issues of Cervical Cancer and early menopause. We have 36-year-old women going into menopause. These things were not there before.”
Although the harm has already been done, she suggested “we can start the reduction of these impacts because the impacts are already there. All hands must be on deck, from the government to the oil companies to the security. All must be involved to make sure that these issues are limited if not totally eradicated.”
Elizabeth Egbe, a woman activist remarked that it was very sad that oil companies could at this time of enlightenment treat the people the same way they treated their fore fathers and go away to the Atlantic Ocean.
She said, “We can’t stop them from divesting. They are already gone but we are saying that they should clean up the environment, remediate the environment, pay compensation to those affected as a result of their oil exploratory activities in this area.
“We are saying no to Shell’s and its cronies in divestment. Let us know whether they are ready for the liability of cleaning up the environment and remediating and paying compensation. If they are ready, they do it and then divest. We need to also see the terms you are operating in our Atlantic Ocean so that you don’t force us into extinction.”
Moris Alagoa, an environment right activist had disclosed that the whole flora and fauna have been destroyed stating that the oil companies must clean up the environment before they divest.
He said, “The mangrove forests are always laden with crude oil. If this crude continues to remain in the soil, it affects everything including the farm land and aquatic lives. The oil companies should clean up the environment before divesting.”
Also speaking, David West, a public affairs analyst in his contribution advised the oil companies that operated in the region to clean up the already polluted environment before divesting, advising that they should also put the host communities in the schedule to enable them know their plans.
He said, “For divestment to take place and for it to be beneficial to the communities, they must be part of the discussion and negotiation.
“The oil companies must also take adequate care of the communities and the polluted environment before divesting.”
The business development and research analyst at Datapyte, Ibilolia Akahome, revealed that the focus group programme was for them to get insight into what the community leaders, the CSOs and the NGOs have been battling as regards oil exploration and exploitation in Bayelsa by IOCs adding that “there is a lot going on now around divestment.”