The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has urged federal government to compel divesting International Oil Companies (IOCs) to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Global Memorandum of Understandings (GMOUs) signed with host communities in the Niger Delta.
The group made the call in a communique issued at the end of a one-day community dialogue titled Unmasking the motives behind IOCS Divestment in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta on Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
In his welcome address, Chima Williams, ERA Executive Director said divestment has become a major issue as oil majors flee their toxic onshore facilities and go offshore where they will not be monitored.
He said that the exclusion of communities and community concerns are crucial to the discussion on how to address the underlying issues hence the decision to hold the dialogue in Bayelsa, adjudged the most oil impacted state in Nigeria.
In the communique signed by ERA, Ikarama and Ikebiri communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Otuabagi, Otuogidi communities in Ogbia Local Government Area, Sangana in Brass Local Government Area, and Nembe, Egberekiri and Okoroma communities in Nembe Local Government Area , the groups noted that the global environmental justice community campaign for divestment of public finance, loans and subsidies from extractives industries has been replaced, abused, and misrepresented by all divesting IOCS in the Nigeria Delta to the detriment of local communities.
The forum also made a recommendation that there is a need to hold oil and gas companies in Nigeria liable for nearly six decades of ecocide in the Niger Delta as precursor to remedial actions and compensation
Other resolutions reached at the gathering includes:
• There is a need for a better understanding and deepening community engagement on the global environment justice community definition of divestments vis-à-vis the model of the IOCs in the Niger Delta
• The need for communities to embrace of the Leave the Oil in the Soil campaign
• Need to hold the oil and gas companies in Nigeria liable for nearly six decades of ecocide in the Niger Delta as precursor to remedial actions and compensation. The court cases of Niger Delta communities in The Hague and UK court are models of litigation successes
• Federal Government compel divesting IOCs to honor MOUs, GMOUs and other agreements entered with communities
• The IOCs decommission their toxic assets and carry out remedial actions monitored by independent bodies and civil society in the communities
• Integration of communities and making them the central focus of ongoing divestment processes
• Strengthening of communities and civil society struggles and voices for environmental justice through capacity building and awareness creation trainings. This should include peaceful engagement, sharing experiences and learnings to engage the process
• Need for demilitarization of Niger Delta communities that are legitimately agitating for a safe environment for their development
• Need for prioritization of women and women concerns in ongoing divestment discussions and decision-making
• Need for in-depth investigation and reportage of IOC Divestments and other underreported issues of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria