COMMUNITY leaders and residents of oil communities in Akwa Ibom State have attributed the antagonism between oil multinationals and host communities to marginalization and treachery on the part of oil companies operating in the state and other parts of Niger-Delta region. The village head of Iwu-Okpum in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state, Chief Okon Sunday Akpanowong, and others, who spoke to our reporter on the sidelines of a workshop in Eket, said it was wrong to treat the host communities as subjugated people.
*File Photo: Activity at a vandalised oil pipe
Chief Akpanowong said, “When a community realizes that a company has contracts that are worth billions of naira, but decides to hide it and give it out to outsiders, they will feel aggrieved. “The situation is the same in the area of training, giving scholarships and even employment.
These are the major things that cause conflict between our communities and their host companies, especially those in the extractive sector.
Extractivesector
“If the community looks at the issue of employment, you discover that those employed in your own community are people from other tribes, people that are not even from oil producing areas, they are not happy; I see that as hatred and denying the people of their rights. “Again, when these companies lay claim to things that they have not done for the communities, like payment of compensation, clean up of the communities from oil spills and the people know that they lied, that also generates resentment,” he said.
Tension
Mr. Ukpong from Onna Local Government Area, said, “The issue of non compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act by oil companies is also a problem creating a lot of tension in different communities in Akwa Ibom State. “This development is one of the major reasons the companies and their host communities are always at loggerheads and it is sad that over the years during such conflicts and violence the communities are mostly affected.
“Many have lost their lives. For instance it was reported not too long ago how a youth from Ebughu community in Mbo Local Government Area was killed following a fracas between the host community and a company operating in the area. I am not happy about this and something must be done to put an end to it,” he asserted.
Human rights abuses
However, the Acting President Afigh Iwaad Ekid, Mr. Etienne Bob, condemned the human rights abuses by security agents contracted by companies, and wondered why the Nigerian government was not paying deserved attention to the lingering issue of host community/oil company relationship in the state and Niger Delta region.
Political contractors: A leader from Ati Annang community, Mr. Imoh Eme said, “Although companies, especially within the extractive sector, can tackle the underlying causes of the growing opposition to their projects in the developing countries by engaging in consent processes with communities and groups directly affected by the projects to be able to obtain free prior and informed consent, in Nigeria, this has been elusive due to the activities of middlemen, who are in the corridors of different political powers and as such believe they can utilize state apparatus and machinery to undermine any form of community protest.
His words, “This interference by our political class has exacerbated crimes and insecurity in Nigeria’s case and the resultant effect has been the lack of ownership and commitment to projects embarked upon by companies in favour of any community. “The concern of Ati Annang is when those conflicts escalate in a destructive and violent manner, resulting loss of lives, potential economic growth, investments, and valuable infrastructure and services, jeopardizing poverty reduction and prosperity for all.”
CSR not the solution
Eme said the fact the company/community violence has continued to escalate even with the list of projects the companies claimed to have carried out in their host communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities, points to the fact that the CSR was not a solution to the problem.
Dialogue with host communities
“As a leader of a social-cultural organization of international reputation, I am highly convinced that there is no company, no matter how small or large its share capital is, that enjoys poor public relationship, therefore to eradicate companies and their host communities disharmony, companies should imbibe the culture of regular consultation with their host communities in a manner devoid of the divide and rule tactics orchestrated by the political class.
“Government should always ensure that communities are adequately compensated and resettled before any project is carried out in acquired lands. Exxon-Mobil should without further delay relocate its administrative headquarters to where their operational platform is in order to ease access to their grievances mechanism by aggrieved communities,” he said.
Voluntary Principles on security/human rights
Eme added, “We call on the present government to sign on to and implement the Voluntary Principles on security and human rights in line with its policy thrust to fight corruption.”
Executive Director, Community Policing Partners for Justice and Democratic Reforms, COMP-PART, Mr. Saviour Akpan, said, “In the year 2000, the federal government in her quest to ensure a lasting peace in the Niger Delta region, established the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with lots of powers and responsibilities to check the modus operandi, but due to lack of political will, has failed to deliver the much needed/desired peace to the region.”
He, however, blamed the continued disharmony on government non- participation in the Voluntary Principles, adding that many countries that meant well for their citizens were already participating in the initiative.
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