Stop ExxonMobil from divestment, group demands

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), on Monday, commended the government and people of Akwa Ibom state over its historic lawsuit against ExxonMobil Producing Unlimited to stop the multinational corporation from divesting its onshore and shallow onshore assets in the state without the consent of the government.

Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, in a statement issued by its international headquarters in Benin City, recalled that it has been working with local communities and the polluted oil-rich Niger Delta region to demand proper and appropriate cleanup and restoration of all impacted lands, forests, rivers and waterways.

“We have also been consistently calling for the payment of appropriate compensation to victims of such incidents and the Federal Government establishment of a $100 billion cleanup and restoration fund before any multinational oil company is allowed to divest or move away from the region.

“There exists a legacy of environmental degradation, pollution, destruction of rural livelihoods, and injustice in all oil-bearing communities and these historic crimes against local communities and their ecosystems must be addressed by the polluting multinational oil companies before they can be allowed to leave,” he said.

“Hence, there is a need for environmental and social impact assessment and audit before any divestment can occur,” he stated.