Social Action Nigeria, in collaboration with otherCivil Society Organisations have urged the President Bola Tinubu’s led federal government to refuse the planned divestment of international oil companies in the Niger Delta.
The CSOs made the call yesterday, during a protest at the Rivers State Government House Port Harcourt.
The coalition said they will continue to resist the divestment until the destroyed Niger Delta environment is remediated and all attendant issues are adequately addressed.
Reading their 11-point demands, Dr. Prince Edegbuo of Social Action, who led the protest called on President Tinubu to immediately halt all divestment processes until a transparent, comprehensive, and inclusive review that undertaken that addresses historical environmental and social liabilities in the region is conducted.
He said: “We call upon President Tinubu to immediately halt all divestment processes until a transparent, comprehensive and historical environmental and social liabilities.
“Ensure inclusive and transparent consultation with state governments and the people of the sites of oil and gas extraction in the Niger Delta before any further divestment of IOC assets.
“Hold Shell, TotalEnergies, and all other IOCs accountable for their past and ongoing environmental damage, and ensure program across the Niger Delta.
Edegbuo, further disclosed, “Uphold the regulatory independence of NUPRC and allow it to fulfill its statutory duties without political interference.
“Respect the resolution of the National Assembly, which has called for a halt to all divestments by international oil companies in Nigeria.
“Ensure that new operators are properly vetted and committed to responsible environmental management and community welfare.
“Create an Environmental Restoration Fund that is sufficiently funded to meet the full and complete costs of environmental cleanup and reparations based on credible estimates of independent international experts and contributed to by Shell, TotalEnergies, and other international oil companies and future operators to address the long-term damage caused by their operations.
He added, “Provide community profit-sharing opportunities for host communities as part of any divestment agreement, ensuring that the local people benefit from oil resources they have hosted for decades.
“Mandate full disclosure of all environmental liabilities before divestment, requiring Shell,
TotalEnergies, and any future operators to publicly declare and address all damages.
“Include gas flaring cessation and decommissioning plans in any divestment agreement, with clear timelines for ending harmful practices. Account for carbon emissions related to the divested assets and propose mitigation plans that align with Nigeria’s climate commitments”, Edegbuo stated.
Also, shortly after the protest, Kentebe Ebiaridor, Programme Manager, Environmental Rights Action, Friends Of The Earth, explained that they were at the government to urge the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to prevail on his counterparts in the Niger Delta to halt flight of the IOCs.
Ebiaridor, pointed out some of the consequences of long term environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region, emphasising life expectancy of Niger Delta residents has reduced to 41 to 45 years.
He said, “The IOCs have polluted our land, they have destroyed our air system, they have created human rights insecurities in the Niger Delta, we have heard internally displaced people because oil spills and conflict in the Niger Delta.
“Today, life expectancy in the Niger Delta is between 41 to 45 years old, is this the life we have been living before? In the past, our fathers and grand fathers used to life for 120, 130 and 150 years, but what is the situation today, oil spills have reduced our life expectancy.
“We are battling with soot in the Niger Delta, we are battling with pollution, we are battling with insecurities in the Niger Delta, we are battling with a lot of things in the Niger Delta and now they want to carry their bag and go, who will give them that chance.
“Today, we are here to submit our memorandum, we are here to send our message to the government of Rivers State and the Governor should in turn tell other governors in the Niger Delta that enough is enough, the oil companies cannot come here, use us and dump us, it is not possible, we have the right to our lives, we have the right to our dignity and we have the right to existence.”
On her part, the Programme Officer of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre,
Idongesit Alexander, said the women were angry that the IOCs after devastating the Niger Delta environment for decades and destroying the livelihoods of the women, want to pack and leave without addressing the attendant defects.
She lamented that most communities that were thriving with staple food, could no longer produce same to cater to their need and that of their households.