Participation In Petroleum Development …Towards Sustainable Community Development In The Niger Delta

Continued from last Wednesday, June 16, 2010.

The book “Participation in Petroleum Development: Towards Sustainable Community Development in the Niger Delta” by Eseme-Alabo Dr. Edward Bristol-Alagbariya is essential for key oil industry experts, administrators, scholars and students who want to gain further insight on how the Niger Delta can benefit from oil exploration and exploitation. The Tide, beginning from this edition, run excerpts of the book. Enjoy it.

Improved CSR measures backed by GSR and other GG measures require the support and encouragement of the oil-producing communities, as indicated in Chapters 1 and 9. The need for the communities to do so to provide an enabling environment for the operations of the MNOCs is identified in Chapter 9, under clause 24 of the Bonny kingdom versus NLNG agreement made under the auspices of the Rivers state government reconciliation panel, on May 30, 2000, following the kingdom versus NLNG crisis of September, 1999.

The author considers the support and encouragement of the oil-producing communities to enhance the operations of the MNOCs in the course of petroleum development in the communities, to mean community social responsibility (SRC). CSR and SRC, generated by GG, will in turn generate cooperation, mutual trust and commitment between the MNOCs and the communities as well as consensus-building and strategic development partnerships between the three major stakeholders of the petroleum development business in Nigeria.

Chapter 1 thus indicates the need for tri-sector development partnerships among the major stakeholders, to improve their so-far frosty relationships. The chapter indicates the need for tri-sector development partnerships in the course of major natural resources development in developing countries, in conformity with the provisions of Article 26 of the Johannesburg Declaration on SD, 2002, which echoes the significance of broad-based and long-term partnerships for SD.

These partnerships constitute one significant finding of this book: that there is need for a conflict resolution strategy designed to achieve win-win situations among the three major the three major stakeholders of the petroleum development business in Nigeria. Win-win situations such as reaching environmental consensus are bridge-building measures. They are ingredients of collaborative or multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) required to govern the relations between the three major stakeholders.

Chapter 1 of the book demonstrates that so far the FG and communities are both unyielding, while the MNOCs are reluctant to do all that is required of them by governments and the communities (ie, to implement more social investment than they are willing to embark upon), in the course of their operations in the Delta region. Win-win environmental consensus and conflict resolution alliances, which require the commitment of each of the three major stakeholders in the performance of their respective roles and responsibilities, are amicable ways of resolving the crises in the Delta region, considering the relatively-uncompromising stance of each of these stakeholders.

The stakeholder theory seeks to impose a measure of social responsibility on the international community, especially countries of the globe relying on Nigeria’s petroleum resources to serve their needs, to persuade governments and MNOCs in Nigeria to properly fulfil their obligations and responsibilities to the oil-rich Delta region and other oil-producing areas of Nigeria.

The fulfilment of these would contribute to industrial peace and harmony in the oil-producing areas, especially as peace and prosperity in these oil-rich areas are intertwined with the prosperity of Nigeria and security of supply of Nigeria’s petroleum resources to the consumer-countries. Considering the leadership question of the Delta region expressed in Chapter 1, to promote the interests of the people of the region require capable, credible and efficient, elected and appointed representatives in the realm of national politics and decision-making processes.  

Placing the book in a more meaningful and proper national context, the enlarged/ancillary hypothesis expressed in Chapter 1 provides that the overwhelming majority of Nigerian citizens, especially the poor masses and the intelligentsia, are (along with the ethnic minorities, especially those of the Delta region) being excluded from participating in decision-making processes in the country. This hypothesis is verified, especially as participation means empowering citizens politically and otherwise.

Lack of participation or improper participation means non-empowerment of citizens and is thus the basis for marginalisation, neglect, poverty, and misery being inflicted upon or suffered by the overwhelming majority of Nigerians. Hence, the book considers that the plight and predicaments of the minorities of the oil-rich Delta region regarding environmental democracy in relation to petroleum development can only be more meaningfully or effectively addressed in the context of overall citizens’ participation in Nigeria. This also implies that the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty in the Delta region needs to be more properly addressed by governments at all levels in the overall context of poverty in the midst of the plentiful wealth accruing to Nigeria from petroleum development.

Chapter 1 also indicates that the principle of permanent sovereignty has inherent rights and responsibilities, although these rights are enjoyed by the government of Nigeria and those of other major natural resources-rich developing countries without the political will or commitment of these governments to fulfil the corollary duties and responsibilities of this principle in favour of their citizens. These duties and responsibilities include the promotion of economic development, ensuring the protection of the environment, and enhancing SD, in the interest of the citizens.

Thus, Article 21 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights, Cap. 10, LFN, 1990 (ie, Article 17 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948), provides that sovereignty over natural resources in the FRN be exercised in the interest of the people of the federation. Accordingly, Section 14(2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the FRN, cited in Chapters 1 and 9, states that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government’.

Chapter 1 indicates that Africa is a centre of crises and contradictions, and major natural resources development by extractive industries occupies a key place at the centre of these crises, as exemplified by sovereign and other ancillary governance control of petroleum resources development and the revenues from it in the FRN.

The solution to these twin problems of crises and contradictions from the perspective of this book is improved CI in petroleum development vis-à-vis improved PI derived through greater citizens’ empowerment in decision-making processes in the federation. Improved PI is capable of empowering the minorities of the oil-producing Delta region and the producers of other major natural resources in the FRN, environmentally, economically and socio-politically, as well as enhancing transparency and accountability in the overall governance of the federation.

 As expressed in Chapter 1, improved citizens’ or public involvement is capable of resolving the leadership question of the FRN, considering that the key problem with PP in decision making and the overall ‘trouble with Nigeria’ ‘is simply and squarely the failure of leadership’, using the words of Nigeria’s erudite writer, Chinua Achebe. Leadership failure triumph at all levels of governance from the federal to regional, state, local and community levels. Indeed, since the attainment of Nigeria’s political independence, one of its greatest problems is the absence of public-spirited leaders capable of governing the country in the interest of all; consequently, the ethnic minorities and the poor citizens of the country worse-off.

Nigerian leaders are thus confronted with the challenge of truly representing the interests of Nigerian citizens, rather than their self-serving interests. Self-serving leaders in Nigeria should be united in promoting the common good of Nigerians and Nigeria, rather than their common greed; as the only item on the agenda of leadership is service to the people. Nigerian leaders are thus required to improve governance, in compliance with the provisions of Article 30 of the Johannesburg Declaration on SD, and the commitment of poor countries expressed in the UN Millennium Declaration based on the UN General Assembly Resolution 55/2 of September 8, 2000, in the interest of humanity in the country.

To be Continued