Concerned about the continuing clashes between host communities and oil companies in Rivers State,
Governor Nyesom Wike recently warned communities not to disrupt oil companies’ operations in their localites. “Host communities could make greater gains by informing the government of any disputes with oil companies operating in their locations”, he said.
Wike spoke when members of the Traditional Ogba Council and stakeholders presented Nwachukwu Obuoha Nnam-Obi III, the Oba of Ogbaland, at the Government House in Port Harcourt. According to the governor, most communities committed violence, thinking it was the best way for them to get what they wanted from any company.
Declaring that the state government would no longer tolerate a situation where communities blocked roads, stopped operations of companies and thought the government would intervene on their behalf, the governor stated that communities must at all times first report their grievances to the state government and not resort to taking laws into their own hands.
The governor said: “It is not when you go and blow up oil pipelines or gas pipelines that you get what you want to get. No community can do it alone. There is nothing wrong with you liaising with the government to make sure companies fulfill their promises and whatever is provided in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). You need government to give you support.”
Governor Wike’s concern is typical. His advice to oil-producing regions will certainly address the fundamental issues affecting the relationship between oil communities and international oil companies (IOCs) and other firms. Nobody can be larger than the government. That is why, if there is a misunderstanding, the communities should first ask for the support of the state government to avoid taking unlawful actions.
In recent times, host community/oil company conflicts have assumed unprecedented dimensions, as the people in the Niger Delta seem to have shunned amicable options of resolution in favour of the use of force and violence. It is rightly observed that there has been more and more unrest in the region in recent times, as local people demand greater control over their natural resources, particularly oil.
That is why the promotion of healthy working relationships between oil companies and their host communities as advocated by Wike has become mandatory. However, it is the responsibility of the government to create an enabling environment to ensure sustainable development in the state and the region to prevent further escalation of environmental crises, bringing about a peaceful co-existence among the various stakeholders.
The problem is that the oil and gas companies in partnership with the Nigerian government often adopt the wrong approach in dealing with conflicts with host communities, using unproductive strategies. In doing so, early government action and a collaborative approach will ensure a long-term solution.
As can be seen, mediation is one of the most effective techniques of conflict resolution between communities and oil companies. It is a structured process whereby the mediator assists the disputing parties in reaching a negotiated resolution of their differences. Within the framework of this procedure, a neutral and impartial party facilitates solutions acceptable to all parties. This technique can also be utilised to negotiate and resolve differences between communities and IOCs.
The federal and sub-national governments should emphasise the need for oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to engage more closely with host communities. They have to look at issues around oil production and the economy in the communities. Joint ventures and other oil companies are expected to review MOUs they have signed with their hosts on an ongoing basis.
This will reduce unnecessary production shutdown, with an attendant negative impact on Nigeria’s economy. No responsible government will allow disruption of the economy of the country through differences between communities and oil firms. Accordingly, oil communities in Rivers State should heed Wike’s call to distance themselves from disrupting economic activities in the state at the least provocation.
It must be ensured that oil companies, oil services firms, the government and its interventionists agencies treat the people and communities in a manner demonstrating that they are the ones that lay the golden egg which feeds the economy of the country. Major oil companies in the state should give their host communities a sense of belonging.
Clearly, the nonchalant attitude of some oil companies toward the development of their host communities breeds distrust and conflict. Unfortunately, many petroleum companies have not partnered with the state government to develop projects for their host communities. They need to change their strategy to foster supportive community relations.
The Rivers State Department of Community Affairs, established for the sole purpose of handling conflict matters by the then Governor Peter Odili’s administration following the incessant communal crises that almost engulfed the state in 1999, should be reactivated and sustained. The department was set up to foster harmonious relationships among Rivers’ people, ensure the needed peace in the land, and enable everyone to benefit maximally from the activities of firms around them.
We applaud Governor Wike for the timely advice to oil-producing communities. It is on record that his numerous interventions in disputes between host communities and oil businesses have impeded several catastrophes in communities in the state. It is now up to the communities and oil-producing firms to respond to His Excellency’s call for peace and harmonious living.