NLNG And That Dry Dock Project

At a critical time when governments at
various levels are trying hard to calm
the post-election frayed nerves in the Niger Delta, the decision to locate a multi-million dollar Dry Dock project believed to be owned by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), in Badagry, Lagos State is, to say the least, provoking and insensitive.
Already, the plan to locate the project outside the operational area of the NLNG has provoked a chain of angry reactions from the Niger Delta people, including threats by the youth to stage protests in every NLNG operational community.
At separate news briefings in Port Harcourt, last week, two groups: a Coalition of Niger Delta Youth, and a socio-cultural organisation in Rivers State, the Orashi Coalition, condemned the decision and threatened to mobilize the youth in the Niger Delta to stage protests in all NLNG operational areas unless the decision was reversed.
Although the NLNG, through its spokesman, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke, has consistently denied the ownership or any investment in the Dry Dock project in Badagry, the fact that the multi-national gas company is a facilitator of the project is enough reason for it to demand and influence the siting of the project in Rivers State.
The location of the project outside NLNG’s operational area is particularly provoking and therefore unacceptable in view of the facilitating role of NLNG in the project and the subsisting policy that mandates all oil and gas firms to move their headquarters to their operational areas.
We have noted in several occasions the deliberate breach of this policy by oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta, most of whom have continually taken their major facilities and activities out of the Niger Delta.
This anti-Niger Delta disposition has continued to rob the region of job opportunities and economic benefits. Besides, it makes conflict resolution between firms and their host communities more cumbersome and expensive.
In fact, the agitation of the youth qualifies for consideration because Lagos State already has a dry dock. We consider it unreasonable to move another one to Lagos at the expense of Rivers State which does not have one yet. Besides, it is cheaper and makes more economic sense to site the project in Rivers State which has all the necessary facilities such as NLNG vessels and Sea Ports that it can serve.
Although The Tide would not subscribe to any violent agitation over the location of the dry dock, we insist that the NLNG and its partners in the project should have a re-think on the location of the project outside the Rivers State. Indeed, they should see the benefit of doing the project in Rivers State even if the relations with their hosts is not compelling enough.
Meanwhile, we urge the Federal Government to, as a matter of necessity, enforce policies that would stop firms in Nigeria from either evading their responsibilities to their host communities or to the state.
Clearly, we see no reason why these firms should wait for the communities to ask companies operating in the Niger Delta to move their headquarters to their operational base before doing the needfull. This they ought to do and stop robbing the region of its rightful benefits. It is a moral responsibility these firms owe their host communities, especially in times like this when peace building is almost becoming mandatory in the country.
Indeed, if some of these anti-Niger Delta posturing are not intended to deliberately intimidate and marginalize the region, we wonder why firms doing business in Nigeria can deliberately ignore Federal Government’s directives and exploit the economy and the people and lose no sleep.
Giving the way the National Assembly had delayed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that would have addressed some of these issues over the years; it is safe to say that the multi-national firms are being encouraged by some persons in government to rob or marginalize minorities of the Niger Delta.
With the worsening conditions in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government must apply its change philosophy and heal not only the way the petroleum business is being made but to also save the people of the area from oppression.