Oloibiri National Oil Museum: 40 years after

By Braeyi Ekiye

Long before the creation of Bayelsa State on October 1st 1996, the Oloibiri Oil Museum Tower was designed by the Federal Government in conjunction with an Italian Consortium for the construction of a world class Oil Museum Complex.

Recall also that Alhaji Shehu Shagari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1st October 1979 to 31st December, 1983, laid the foundation stone for the building of the Oloibiri Oil Museum at the Oloibiri Oil Fields during his tenure in office, ostensibly to appease the long-neglected people of the oil bearing Niger Delta region. The Federal Government and her allies, the International Oil Companies (IOCs) know that the region and her people have continued to suffer the adverse effect of Oil and Gas exploration and exploitation the past sixty-seven (67) years or so. Yet no tangible remediation measures to salvage the badly damaged environment and possible Marshall Plan to accelerate the socio-economic and infrastructural development of the area has ever been contemplated.

Sixty-seven years after, having become established as the ‘Goose that lays the Golden egg’ for Nigeria, the people and the environment of the Southern Zone remain poor, backward and neglected, as echoed loud and clear by the Sir Henry Willink Commission of Enquiry Report of July 1958 which was presented to the British Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, The Rt. Hon. Alan Lennox-Boyd by Command of Her Majesty, the Queen.

It would be recalled that the Southern Minorities Movement, in 1996 represented by Dr. M.T Akobo, Prof. Turner T. Isoun and Mr Solomon Asemota, Esq., SAN had lamented the marginalization of this region by ‘’greedy despotic big tribe hegemonies’’. They regretted that this TRIPOD (WAZOBIA) have continued to monopolize the reins of power in Nigeria since she became an Independent nation.

The situation in the Niger Delta region has not changed much. The people still remain poor, neglected and backward. The only hope they have is promises and promises for a new and better lease of life…with roads tarred with gold and airconditioned cars riding on air!, so to speak.

The region is left piqued by these numerous unfulfilled promises by the Federal Government, her allies, IOCs.  The peoples hope and expectations have for so long been dashed.

When will the Oloibiri Oil Museum be built? Where are the actionable comprehensive policies and strategies to protect, reclaim and reconstruct the badly damaged Niger Delta Environment as a result of sustained oil exploration and exploitation in the region, the past sixty-seven years? The people of the Niger Delta have lived with Gas flaring as long as the history of Oil exploration and exploitation in Nigeria. The acid rain on the Niger Delta environment due to gas flaring and consequent devastating health hazards suffered by its inhabitants is no worry to the Federal Government and the IOCs. They are too busy accumulating the petro-dollar majorly for the intent of the central government and federating units, totally oblivious of the monumental ecological damages done to the Niger Delta environment and the deprivation of the people of the region.

Despite several regulatory attempts, court injunctions and policy statements/pronouncements, the Federal Government and the IOCs have remained adamant and continue to shift the goal post for cessation of gas flares in the region. We were told again as at 2019, that the deadline for Gas flaring is put at 2020. And 2020 has long come and gone with no sign, whatsoever, of the seriousness of that empty promise. From the look of things, it is a far cry from meeting any set target date, now and in future. The question is: when will the wanton and senseless gas flaring end in the region? The people of the region are being deformed physically and dying of gas flare and oil pollution related diseases and ailments daily.

It is a pity also that much of politics, ethnic and tribal hegemonies, rather than pure economics, driven by deregulated market forces play into the management of allotting oil blocks to prospective bidders, and in some cases, unsolicited bidders. The owners of these resources are totally alienated or at best, appendages to the ownership and control and management of these oil blocks. A clear case of poverty sitting on the sea of wealth!!!. Again, the most recent UNEP Report on the massive oil pollution and clean-up is yet to be given the desired attention and action. Failed government promises and expectations for the people and the Niger Delta region; a region that has kept Nigeria strong and fit economically and financially as a nation. This is sad, very sad.

Let’s fast backwards: On October 8, 2019, the Nigerian Senate called for immediate commencement of the up-graded Oil and Gas Research Centre and Museum, Oloibiri, Bayelsa State – Nigeria’s first Oil field, wantonly raped and abandoned. This was sequel to a motion by Senator Biobarakuma Wangagha Degi Eremienyo representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the National Assembly and Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Special Duties.

The Senate at that time, directed the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to begin construction of the oil, gas and research centre. This was sequel to a motion by Senator Eremienyo of the All Progressive Congress party (APC) and co-sponsored by twenty-eight other senators on the need to ensure commencement of the centre and museum.

The upper chamber also urged the Federal Government to prioritize the development of heritage institutions across the country. It further directed relevant committees of the house to carry out intensive oversight on the implementation of the Oloibiri project.

Presenting the motion at plenary, Biobarakuma Eremienyo regretted that sixty-three (63) years after (as at August 2019), the discovery, exploitation and production of crude oil in Oloibiri fields and its environs, the source from which Nigeria’s economic and financial wealth accrued had been neglected, colossal environmental problems unattended to, with rising high incidences of health hazards facing the people of the area and the larger Niger Delta region.

Senator Eremienyo explained that the idea of the centre was also to boost foreign exchange earnings for the country and improve living standards of the host communities. Four years after, the Federal Executive Council, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the sum of one hundred and seventeen billion naira for the take-off of the Oloibiri National Museum Complex. A Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolution a few weeks ago has now approved the Oloibiri Museum project to be established.

It would be recalled that ENVIRONMENTWATCH newspaper, in its maiden April 15, 1998 edition had published on its front page, a story titled: “Hope On 3 billion naira Oil Museum Rises”

Quoting the then Group Chairman of Delta Holdings (Nig) Limited, Chief Ranami Abah, a chartered surveyor and valuer in an exclusive interview, the paper reported that it was regrettable that the proposed museum had not risen above studied works done on it, designs and costings of the project submitted to the Federal Government in February 1995.

The cost of the project then was estimated at a little over three (3) billion naira in 1995 by a Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolution. Chief Abah maintained that the establishment of a national monument in the nature of the proposed National Oil Museum at Oloibiri in honour of its being the pride of the Black Gold was long overdue.

In his words: “I am hoping that knowing the strategic nature of the oil industry and realizing the fact that every country creates their kinds of monuments for the recognition of certain things; and there is nothing in this country that qualifies more than the National Oil Museum at Oloibiri, where the first oil well was found, and it is that, that has brought Nigeria anywhere at all, something positive will be done soon.”

ENVIRONMENTWATCH investigations as at 1998 had revealed that, the national museum project, inspite of its being purely of social welfare in nature, is complemented by the petroleum research centre, the world conference centre, and various recreational facilities.

The project document sited by ENVIRONMENTWATCH, adds that the great drawings, apart from providing opportunities to implement and strengthen economic and social welfare of Oloibiri area, also presents the entire nation, a monumental accomplishment and a historical landmark.

The total area of the project is approximately four hundred and sixty (460) hectares. The land consists of a stable sedimentary soil with high density tropical vegetation and high quantity of rainfall for a greater part of the year.

An average of one thousand visitors to the centre is estimated. The cost of the project as at February 1995 was put at forty-three million US dollars ($43,358,125.00) approximately three billion, four million naira as at 1995.

While it is heart-warming to note that, at last, the President Muhammadu APC led government has willed the political will to approve one hundred and seventeen billion (N117b) naira for the kick-start of the long awaited Oloibiri national museum project at the twilight of his administration, it is instructive to reflect on such past failed pronouncements of Federal Executive Councils over the years on this project from 1982 to 1995 to 1998 an now! What is so magical now, – that Niger Deltans will believe that the project will certainly take-off, completed and commissioned in a good time.

What are the time lines for completion of the project; the milestones expected to be achieved monthly or quarterly, and for how many years the project outlay would take for it to be completed to serve as a national museum and its attendant socio-economic benefits and technology transfer to our teeming unemployed youths. Or is it another political ploy? This FEC 117 billion naira approval; are we to believe that the out-going Buhari APC federal government really means well, and that it would match words appropriately with action?

The reactions from the public to this move by the Federal Government have not been positive. Commentators are wary of such promises coming at a few days to the general elections, and as to what the in-coming federal government would do to a project that has not been given a definitive take-off date and completion time frame with mobilization fee commensurate that can make the Oloibiri oil fields ground instant hub of construction activities.

More so, it is pertinent to remind ourselves that the Bonny Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas plant (NLNG) also had such failed promises and expectations from when it was highlighted in the third National Development plan 1975 -80; volume 1, page 164. The two Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plants each of one million cubic feet per day capacity to be built during the plan for just 1.260 million naira then. After many hiccups due to lack of political will and infighting bordering on selfish interest, the projects only saw the light of day in the mid-nineties and at a huge cost comparatively.

My article on: “Sanctions And The LNG Project”, published in The Guardian, Tuesday, January 16, 1996 at page 25 speaks volume of Nigerian governments, past and present, lackadaisical attitude toward projects formulation, execution and completion, especially those sited in minority areas, such as the Niger Delta.

Let it be said that, but for the Buhari administration, the Oloibiri National Museumand
Research Centre would not have seen the light of day. Now is the hour of decisions and the General and his government should rise to the challenges and bestow this credit on his administration.

It was philosopher, Anon, who once reminded us that: “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.”

The consequences of further dodging our responsibilities would be too disastrous to contemplate. Let us therefore, resolve to kick-start, complete and commission for use, this huge, monumental base to create the much-needed oil and gas industrial base as well as boost tourism for foreign exchange for a country whose foreign exchange earnings are at a way deep slope.

Braeyi Ekiye,  publisher, Environmentwatch writes from Yenagoa.