Stakeholders Flay Oil Firms Over N’Delta Pollution

Stakeholders in the
Niger Delta have criticized major oil companies operating in the Niger Delta for not addressing the environmental cleanup of the region before divesting from their onshore operations.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a one day stakeholders meeting on community – CSO/Media Forum on Human Rights and the Environment in the Niger Delta, organised by the Centre for Environment Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) in Port Harcourt.
The forum regretted the failure of both the federal government and the multi national companies to clean-up the region in view of the negative effects on the people.
According to the forum divestment to offshore operations by oil companies is only acceptable with the cleanup and remediations of all polluted sites in the Niger Delta.
It also criticized the attitude of some indigenous oil companies which only agreed to inherited the assets and not liabilities of the diverting companies, stressing that this situation will not be accepted to communities in the region.
Participants also stressed the need for oil producing communities in the region to unite against threats to their common existence, while regulatory agencies such as, the National Oil Spill Detective and Response Agency (NOSDRA), National Environmental Standard Regulation and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and Ministry of  Environment be legally empowered to check the activities of oil companies.
The forum also xrayed cases of human rights violations in some communities in Rivers State.
The chairman Community Development Committee (CDC) Idu Ekpeye Community in the Ahoada West Local Government Area, Apostle Sunday Ishiodu complained of continous violations of environmental rights of Idu Ekpeye community by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
Mr Ishiodu alleged that despite being an oil producing community, Idu Ekpeye has noting to show in terms of social amenities.
On his part, Mr Emmanuel Nnah, chairman Marihu Community Development Committee, Oyigbo Local Government Area also complained of marginalisation by oil companies operating in the area.
Earlier, the coordinator of the Centre for Environment Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) Dr Zabbey Nenibarini had said that the forum was to create opportunity for communities to reachout to the world through the media on issues affecting them.