Elder statesman and expert in the environment sector, Engr Olu Andah Wai – Ogosu, has urged IOCs and other multinational companies operating in the Niger Delta region to take full responsibilities for the development of their host communities. Wai-Ogosu who spoke with The Tide in an interview at the weekend said the prevalence of conflicts between oil companies and their host communities in the Niger Delta was due to the neglect of the host communities by the multinationals. He expressed disappointment over the fact that the IOCs place commercial and profit motives over the development of their host communities. He said such attitude of corporate negligence on the part of the IOCs was the bane of the people of the host communities who live in abject poverty and infrastructural decay.
Using Onne, an industrial hub in Rivers State as an example, the Elder statesman said despite the numerous companies operating in Onne, there was no meaningful host community engagement as no MoU was signed with the people of Onne. Wai – Ogosu who described the practice in Onne and Niger Delta as “corporate negligence” called on all multinationals and corporate organisations operating in the Niger Delta to introduce a more practical community engagement model and implement the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed with their host communities.
Wai-Ogosu who spoke with The Tide in an exclusive interview yesterday, pointed out that; “modern industry practices require that both the oil firms and the host communities operate in mutual agreement and synergy through a well established community engagement model that would be subject to upward reviews to suit evolving developments to avert crisis.”
He noted that oil related conflicts have been a predominant feature of the Niger Delta over the years and urged prospecting oil firms and other corporate organzsations in the Niger Delta to learn from the experiences of the past to improve their host community relations by contributing meaningfully to the development of their host communities.
The environmental expert , said host communities were major stakeholders in the oil and gas business, noting that their active participation in the sector was an elixir to smooth business operation. “It’s certain that business activities can’t thrive in an environment where there is mutual disagreement and incessant conflicts, The Federal Government’s policies on the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone are not properly directed, there are fillers that SNEPCo, a major affiliate of Shell wants to relocate from Onne over flimsy and unjustifiable excuses. This is totally unacceptable to the people of Onne. Global standards in oil and gas business require that host communities be given their due sense of belonging to promote peace and development. The business concern must be accommodative of the development interest of the host communities. Any company that glosses over the interest of its host communities is bound to face challenges.”

Taneh Beemene