Clean Up Our Polluted Environment Before Divesting: Host Communities

  

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.

 This was the call of the people of the region  at weekend  in Yenagoa, when a group known as Dataphyte, organised a stakeholders meeting to ascertain the level of damages done to the land and to the people as the oil companies move away from their Land to the Sea.

 Laying their predicaments on the table Warder  Benjamin from Ikarama Community  and President, Yenagoa Federated Youth Council, in his response, stated that they are clamouring for a clean divestment process. 

He disclosed that the oil companies cannot leave thier 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 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."

Dr  Mrs Aziba Arogo from Otuokpoti Community also of  Ogbia Local Government of the  state, in her response disclosed that research has shown, that there are  toxins and  traces of this Petro Chemicals 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 thirty six 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 impact 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  we are enlightenment  treat the people  the same way they treated their fore fathers and go away to the Atlantic Ocean. 

She said:"We cant stop them from divesting, they are already gone but we are saying that they should clean up the environment, remediate the environment, pay companesation to those affected as a result of their oil exploratory activities in this area."

"We are saying no to Shell's and it's croonies divestement. 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 the 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 mangroove 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 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 yo be beneficial to the communities, they must be part of the discussion and negociation.

 The oil companies must also take adequate care of the communities and the polluted environment before divesting.

 

Speaking earlier, 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.