Douglas Blessing

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) said the government at all levels, as well as oil multinationals are insincere with host communities in the Niger Delta region considering the amount of funds that is generated from the region.

The civil society groups stated this yesterday, at a training of community members on monitoring oil spills in the region, organized by the Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) in Port Harcourt.

The groups, lamented that the government has chosen to prioritised making profits over the lives of the citizens in host communities.

Speaking on the theme, “Effective Community Participation in Monitoring and Reporting of the Impacts of Oil Spills on the Environment”, the Coordinator, Oil Watch International, Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, urged the government to stand up for the communities because they bear the brunt of oil and gas exploitation.

Ebiaridor said the training was imperative to improve citizens’ participation in trying to report oil spills and also what they need to know in trying to reduce conflicts and oil spills in the entire communities.

“It is important that the government always stands on the side of the communities because they bear the brunt of exactly happens in terms of every form of extraction. But we have noticed that the government has prioritised profits over people which in turn has destabilised and destroyed alot of the entire Niger Delta environment.

“If you look at it that people should not live in the Niger Delta, is either the government does what is right in terms of improving the standard of living for people, reducing the oil spills, reducing the gas flare and also ensuring that the companies do what is right in terms of Social Cooperate Capability, and also ensure that if an oil is spilled or gas flared, the fine that is accrued from such should be given back to the communities in the manner it is beneficiary in terms of healthcare delivery, development and other livelihood aspects.

“The entire Niger Delta is seriously impoverished in poverty. If you look at it holistically, you will see that after 60 years of extraction there is no hope in health facility, no standard educational system, no good road. But this is a region that is emitting millions of dollars for the nation on daily base.

“If the government is sincere to the people of the Niger Delta, governors also sincere looking at the type of funds that have come out and also be ployed into the Niger Delta, you will agree with me that there is some atom of insincerity on the side of good and the multinational companies that is making it look as if they don’t care about the region.”

Also speaking, a lawyer and activist, Ms. Okorite Yobo, recalled that the UNEP Report in 2011 identified administrative negligence as a major challenge faced in the restoration of the people’s hope.

“So, in the oil producing areas in the Niger Delta, has always suffered  administrative negligence and is getting worse. There is no response. Government is not paying attention, is not priority, what is priority is getting the resources and earning the money as a country. But what happens to the host and impacted communities, not in the front burner.”

Earlier, the Communication Manager of Social Action,  Peter Mazi, said the training which is the second set for host communities is to promote  balance information dissemination, so that when there is spills, the community can spot the spill and  know the mechanism to report them and who to report to.

“One thing is to spot the oil spill, another is to remediate. We know the effect of oil spill in the environment, the economic and social life of the people. So, this is why the training is here to get the community to be part of the process of spotting the oil, reporting them and even in the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the communities.”