Stakeholders from the oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta region have described the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as obnoxious, saying that the Act does not tackle the issues of environmental degradation and indiscriminate gas flaring.
This was the position canvassed by various speakers at the Nigeria Resource Justice Conference with the theme: “The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021: Matters Arising For Communities in Extraction Sites” organised by Social Action in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The keynote speaker, HRM. King Bubaraye Dakolo, Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council said the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA has not addressed the decades of distruction and dislocation of the environment and the source of livelihood of host communities.
King Dakolo maintained that the over 7 decades of oil exploration have violated the human rights of the Niger Delta people in seeking environmental justice, adding tha these violations has given rise to pipeline vandalism and the proliferation of illegal oil refineries in the communities.
He noted that despite attempts by the security agencies to stop the activities of illegal refinery operator commonly known as “kpofire”, security personnel burst the crude oil content into the environment and even set the content ablaze thereby causing more devastation and pollution.
The Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom stated that gas flaring is another stranghold the PIA has metted on oil producing communities which is still ongoing despite the a law in place, emphasising that as long as the oil industry operators keep paying charges for gas flaring like royalties the flaring would continue.
” I’m thinking that the conferenceis primarily to how we could answer a few key questions. For instance, as bad as this Act says could there be ways we could minimise our predetermined ordeal? Are there ways we could minimise our sealed sad fate? Are there other concrete civilised steps we could take to ensure that we do not continue on this part that is paved for our ultimate destruction as a people and that wiil on us as the people from in extraction sites.
” To explore the possibilities of staying alive despite the affront the oil industry have dealt on us for the late 7 decades and particularly during the tenure of the PIA 2021. We need to first and foremost highlight some sections in the Act that made most of us see the PIA as another obnoxious one dealt to the Niger Delta people because of its natural endowment. Does the Act in any way seem to have clauses that aimed at protecting the environment, our communities and kingdoms? Does it feel it will stop gas flaring and communty rights plain and realizable.
” Our environment also has to do with spillages which we have experienced over the years. Is there something concrete and clear that would ensure that the oil operators of this industry protect our environment and prevent spillages? There anything in the Act that prevent spillages?. However there could might be accident and pollution but can people get justice quickly in the name of compensation?.
” Because the last time I checked in 2012 there was an explosion in the coast of Koluama at the Chevron Platform and nothing had been done till date. Last year, there was this spill at Saint Babara Oil Well 1 of OML 29 belonging to Aiteo it spilled high velocity, high pressure crude oil cand gas for about 38 days none stop polluting from Saint Babara to The Atlantic Ocean from Bayelsa to Rivers and Delta State. And at the end of the day they only spoke on language, sabotage and so long as security agencies have not produced any saboteur then it is just a game.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Justice Simon Amaduobogha, Judge of the High Court in Bayelsa State said it is appalling that in Nigeria’s oil industry the regulatory power was taken from the ministry of environment and given to the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR), adding that this has paved the way for oil industry operators to always romance with the regulatory bodies in a bid to capture and control them to manipulate the rules in their favour.
Amaduobogha stated the PIA reduces the standard of operation to nothing so as to give the oil operators the leeway to operate at any standard against international best practice, saying that it is a recipe for environmental disaster for the environment and the people of the oil bearing communties, for me ” the PIA is retrogressive and backward as far as issues of the community and environment are concerned”
Earlier, the Director of Social Action, Dr. Isaac Osuoka while welcoming the participants said the conference is to examine the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in a bid at using the new legislation to address the environmental and social problems associated with the petroleum industry.
Represented by Prince Ekpere, Osuoka said Nigeria Resource Justice Conference provides an avenue for community members and leaders, citizen groups, scholars, government agencies to examine the contentious issues of funding the development of host communities, the damage the oil industry has caused to health and livelihood, the dangers of turning oil and gas bearing communities into enclaves of corporate dominance and ways to mitigate such dangers.
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