A non-governmental organisation, Stakeholders Alliance for Corporate Accountability (SACA) on Tuesday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, engaged Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairmen and religious leaders on its awareness and enlightenment crusade on the impacts of oil spillages.
The programme tagged, “Action Reflection on Impacts of Oil Spillages and Human Rights”, drew participants from across select communities impacted by oil and gas related activities.
In his opening remarks, Executive Director of SACA, Mr. Kingsley Ozegbe, said the rationale behind the event was to further take the engagement on the dangers of oil spills to the rural communities through community stakeholders and religious leaders.
Ozegbe said the NGO deliberately called for the participation of CDC Chairmen and the clergy owing to the fact that the duo constitute veritable channels of communications to adherents of their faiths.
The Tide gathered that SACA, which was founded by Rev. Fr. Kevin O’Hara, is currently being funded by Misean Cara of the Republic of Ireland and the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society (SPS) of the Catholic Church.
The Tide further gathered that the programme was organised as part of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) which is an instrument that consist 31 principles that the UN adopted to protect the rights of citizens, hold all companies and government to account to Respect and Remedy human rights abuses/violations as they conduct their business enterprises.
Ozegbe, who also cautioned against third party interference on oil and gas installations, stressed that recent statistics shows that a high percentage of spillages in the Niger Delta region were caused by individuals and groups interfering with oil facilities, thereby posing serious harm to the environment and people in communities.
“A recent research carried out by Roland Hodler and Anna Bruederle of the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland on the effects of oil spillages in Nigeria showed that anyone who lives 10km away from the site of any oil spill is likely going to be affected by the hazardous impacts of the spills.
“We’ve today invited CDC chairmen from communities across Bayelsa State and religious leaders – pastors and Imams – to brainstorm on possible ways to curb problems of oil spillages to enable us live our lives fully as God said in his words.
“We invited these set of leaders because they’re one of the fastest channels of communications to their congratulations and adherents of their faiths.
“It is widely reported that continuous exposure to crude oil spills causes miscarriage, still birth, deforms children and several neonatal challenges”, the SACA boss said.
In a presentation tagged, “Impact of Crude Oil Spillages on Environment, Health, Food Security and Food Safety”, key resource person, Dr. Briggs Bieye Renner of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, re-emphasised the negatives associated with the impacts of oil spills.
He identified exposure routes of crude oil to humans as oral ingestion of food and water contaminated by it, inhalation of contaminated air, and dermal contacts by bathing water contaminated with crude oil or mixing crude oil with body lotions/creams, amongst other.

The Physician advised communities affected by crude oil pollution to put pressure on individuals and oil companies to stop further pollution and strongly demand for remediation of all crude oil impacted sites before the multinational companies divest their onshore assets.

Other resource persons who made presentations include: the Director of Petroleum and Pollution, Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, Eng. Reuben Enai; Director of Public Health, Bayelsa State Ministry of Health, Dr. Jones Stow; and Deputy Director, Rivers State Ministry of Environment, Dr. Moses Otonye.

Others were: Director of Agricultural Services, Bayelsa State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs. Sarah Udusi; the Head, National Critical Unit, Bayelsa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), DC. Emmanuel Nwanchukwu; as well as the Head of Legal and Enforcement, National Human Rights Commission, Bayelsa State office, Barr. Vinning Goselle.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Eugene Baadom.

Highpoint of the event was the presentation on grievances mechanisms by the Community Investment and Sustainability Relations Officer of the Nigeria Agip oil Company (NAOC), Mrs. Diepreye Okosu.

Ariwera Ibibo-Hwells, Yenagoa