Bayelsa bears 25% of Nigeria’s oil pollution — Report

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed his commitment to implement the recommendations and other matters arising from the final report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission.

The governor, in a tense warning, said the government has resolved to sue International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the state over unmitigated oil pollution for over six decades.

He indicated that the government may pursue legal redress outside the shores of Nigeria.

He stated: “After a review of an advance copy of your report, I can affirm that it captures the essence of our trials while outlining a hopeful pathway toward resolution. Your insights will serve as a beacon, guiding us toward actionable solutions and inspiring us to restore dignity and opportunity to our people.

“The report, appropriately titled ‘An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria,’ is truly alarming.”

The governor, who spoke on Monday in Government House, Yenagoa, on the occasion of the presentation of the report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission to the State Executive Council by the Chairman of the Commission, Rt. Revd. and Rt. Hon. Lord John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, said he will immediately create a dedicated body to oversee its implementation.

Diri formally dissolved the Commission, which was initiated by his predecessor, Sen. Seriake Dickson, and expressed gratitude to the chairman and the entire team comprising prominent personalities, researchers, scientists, and professionals in various fields, for the exceptional work in illuminating the state’s challenging circumstances, adding that the meticulously crafted report does more than present data; it also reveals the harsh and often obscured truths of reality.

The governor also expressed profound gratitude to Dickson, whose vision led to the establishment of the commission on March 26, 2019, pointing out that the event marks a momentous milestone in the history of Bayelsa State, especially in the pursuit of environmental justice.

He said: “This convergence serves as a formal presentation of the findings after robust interactions with various stakeholders, including the University of Bradford and the House of Lords in the United Kingdom last year, by the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, where I affirmed my resolve to act decisively on the recommendations and seek partners where necessary to ensure seamless implementation.

“After a review of an advance copy of your report, I can affirm that it captures the essence of our trials while outlining a hopeful pathway toward resolution. Your insights will serve as a beacon, guiding us toward actionable solutions and inspiring us to restore dignity and opportunity to our people.

“The report, appropriately titled ‘An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria,’ is truly alarming. With your kind allowance, I would like to make a few references from the report.

“It is heartbreaking to note, for instance, the paragraph which says the state, ‘…is estimated to have suffered over a quarter of total recorded instances of oil pollution.’ The staggering disparity underscores the inequitable distribution of environmental burdens. Bayelsa State bears 25% of Nigeria’s oil pollution. The sheer scale of devastation paints a dire picture, disconcertingly reminiscent of an environmental Armageddon. Our once-thriving ecosystems, now ravaged by pollution, threaten the very survival of our communities.

“I am equally appalled to read from a section of the report that, ‘The human impact has been just as devastating. One study estimates that in 2012 alone, oil spills in Nigeria, and predominantly in the Niger Delta, resulted in over 16,000 additional neonatal deaths.’ While some may dispute these numbers, for us, even one life lost to accommodate the greed of oil exploration is one death too many.

“Again, imagine the horror that ‘the oil contamination has been so heavy that, according to estimates, as much as one and a half barrels of oil have been spilled in Bayelsa for every man, woman, and child living in the state today. The figures are even higher for some parts of Bayelsa, with, for instance, as many as six barrels of oil spilled for every person in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA).’ The stark reality is devastating: every Bayelsa resident is affected; our lives are perpetually endangered. The brutal implication: we are either already dead or waiting to die.

“As we are well aware, a significant barrier to our fight against the environmental pollution we experience is exacerbated by the recalcitrant attitudes of International Oil Companies. These companies often prioritise their own profit over international best practices. The International Oil Companies and the Federal Government have left our land and people to a gloomy fate.

“We are grateful that the report amplifies our voices as it justifies the rationale behind the international intervention that we have been desirous of for decades. Adding insult to our injuries, they situate their administrative offices far from their operational base, depriving us of personal income and other taxes that could benefit our communities and state.

“Furthermore, we are saddened to read that ‘between 1970 and 2014, Nigeria earned an estimated trillion dollars in oil revenue. Since 2006, oil produced in Bayelsa has generated over US $150 billion for the Federal Government and billions for the international oil companies that operate its wells. On average, oil produced in Bayelsa is responsible for approximately US $10 billion in government revenues per year.

“Your report not only acknowledges the struggles but also provides a hopeful roadmap for resolution, echoing the sentiment of Martin Luther King Jr.; ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ Your dedication to amplifying the voices of those affected and giving us hope is deeply appreciated.

“As Desmond Tutu eloquently stated, ‘Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.’ You have truly rekindled this spirit, and for that, we are deeply grateful. Together, we can move toward a brighter future, transforming our collective challenges into opportunities for growth and resilience.

“Additionally, we are encouraged by the revelation of the report that ‘in most advanced industrialised countries, two basic principles – ‘polluter pays’ and ‘no fault liability’ – form the cornerstone of the legal regime for regulating extractive industries. Taken together, they mean that those that own and operate facilities are responsible for the damage caused by their pollution even if they are not at fault.

“Distinguished Chair, I share your concern about the persistent issue of gas flaring in our communities. This environmental hazard has continued unabated, five years after your commissioning, with a recent significant flaring incident occurring at Gbarantoru in Ekpetiama Kingdom, in Yenagoa Local Government Area, merely 150 metres from the palace of HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council. This recurring issue does not discriminate. The fight against gas flaring is a matter of life and death; we have the right to life, too.

“The Commission’s recommendation that ‘concerted international action to generate and invest at least US $12 billion over the course of 12 years to repair, remediate and restore the environmental and public health damage caused by oil and gas and to lay the foundations for Bayelsa’s just transition towards renewable energy and opportunities for alternative livelihoods’ justifies our persistent claim for reparation from the oil companies for the environmental havoc they have caused over these many decades.”