Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), yesterday, canvassed restoration of and compensation for Awoye community in Ilaje Local Council of Ondo State and neighbouring Makoko settlement in Yaba Local Council of Lagos State for alleged abuse of their locations.
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HOMEF Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, in his presentation, titled, “Extractivism, Impunity and Human Rights on Ororo-1 Documentary Screening & Policy Dialogue in Lagos, stated that “extractivism disrupts ecosystems, from the simple case of conversion of land use to fragmentation of biodiversity and destruction of habitats.”
He said: “We are contending with both human rights abuses, and the rights of Mother Earth. Mother Earth has a right to be free from disruption of her natural cycles. Pollution of water bodies (streams, rivers, lakes, ocean) affects diverse species and has led to extensive extinction and disruption of the cycles of nature.
“In the climate change negotiations, there are contentious debates over reparations for loss and damage for remediation and restoration of extensive environmental and infrastructure harms. Some of these harms are extensive, and may be irreparable and constitute ecocide.”
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“International Oil Companies (IOCs) have been divesting and selling their onshore and near offshore assets to Domestic Oil Companies (DOCs) since the Local Content Act of 2010. By selling or divesting, they seek to avoid decommissioning and removing unused or derelict infrastructure and upgrade of poorly maintained facilities liability for decades of environmental, socio-economic and human rights violations. We note that both Nigerian and international laws hold that, regardless of any subsequent transfer of assets, liability remains the responsibility of those causing the injury. They could equally be held liable for damage that occurs post-divestment if such arises from integrity issues that were not disclosed.”
Bassey further said: “The heavy dependence of the Federal Government on IOCs and oil revenue has inexorably entrenched the non-transparent, corrupt, and strategically dysfunctional petroleum sector. This is the core enabler of the sort of reckless corporate behaviour that pervades the sector. This misbehaviour has rendered the relevant regulatory agencies either impotent or complicit in the malaise.
“There are several well-heads, manifolds, flow stations, and pipelines that ought to be decommissioned and removed from communities across the Niger Delta by the IOCs and NNPCL. Nigerian law requires proper decommissioning, abandonment and removal of all unused oil facilities according to best international standards. These requirements are often ignored. This happens also in the solid minerals sector, as evidenced by the abandoned tin mines of Jos and coalmines of Enugu. Across the world, there are an estimated 29 million abandoned oil & gas wells that will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to properly secure.”
Earlier, his Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) counterpart, Akinbode Olufemi, while chronicling oil spillages in the country, stated that multinationals must bear responsibility and compensate affected communities.
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