Media Professionals Urged To Report More On Oil Companies Divestment.

 

 

 Media Professionals in the Niger Delta Region have been advised to do expository reportage about the issue of divestment of oil companies operating in the region.

 

 This was as the oil companies operating in the region were also advised to clean up the environment that they polluted before divesting or moving to off shore.

 

These were the submissions of resource persons who spoke in Yenagoa on Wednesday at one day media parley organized for some select journalists in Yenagoa by a non- governmental organization known as Center for Environmental Human Rights and Development (CERD).

 

 In his welcome remarks the team lead Meshack Uyi, the environmental governance officer disclosed that there is no legal frame work on ground to checkmate the divestment procedures of these oil and gas companies.

 

He therefore called on the media to help the organization champion the course of making sure that the oil and gas companies did the needful before divesting.

 

 Uyi said “We want you people to help us champion the course of the communities that you have been championing their course over the years and for the fact that we are actually looking at those who are voiceless today, we know that with you, their voices will be heard.

 

“We are hoping that with the interaction we had today, the issue of divestment will adequately be looked into and we are hoping that Bayelsa citizens will have respite in the shortest possible time.

 

 “Divestment has laydown principles regarding the sale of asses but that of Petroleum Industry in Nigeria, there seems to be no clear cut policy on that aspect. What is being used right now is a model not specifically suits to the oil and gas industry.

 

“And that is why as an NGO, we are calling on the movement to please take particular note of the peculiarity of the oil and gas industry and not treat their divestment as any other divestment.

 

 “We are saying here that you cannot treat the host communities as just any other person. Communities have not been taken into recognition. They are just seen as mere entity and we are concerned. The issue of bad legacy affects the people who are the most affected more than even the government.

 

“We are saying here that while we are holding on the multinationals who are the operators of this joint ventures, the government that holds larger percentage of the shares should also take responsibilities. We are saying no to the unethical divestment that is going because it is anti –people, anti-environment and it is against natural justice.

 

Also speaking Jim Dorgu of Mac Jim Foundation, a facilitator at the meeting in his submission maintained that the media being the watchdog of the society should be involved at all levels on issues concerning the society.  

 

He said “On the issue of divestment, the complexities and ambiguities surrounding divestment as rebates to the oil companies are enormous. How would community people understand it? It is also important to demystify the issues of divestment. How will divestment be done if in Nigeria, we don’t have regulatory frame works as it is being done in other places?

 

“And in the case of communities in the Niger Delta, we are looking at issues of oil pollution, air pollution, environmental degradation so if the company is divesting, what about the environmental legacies that the companies are leaving behind?

 

“I think that everything about divestment as it is going needs to be reported by the media to create that awareness for the communities.

 

Alambo Datonye a participant said “We as journalists need to enlighten members of the public and communities on the implications of divestment and the best practices as it is being witnessed in other countries.

 

“We have a lot of responsibility as members of the fourth estate of the realm to drive the process of enlightening people on the divestment process.

 

“Whether we like it or not, the world is on energy transition, moving away from fossil fuel to renewable energy and other cleaner sources of energy and that is why you are seeing these multinational oil companies divesting because of the pressure.

 

“So we need to do follow up to remind them that they have a duty to clean up the environment and take care of all the liabilities before they divest.