Let the Oil companies speak! (Adaora)

Photograph by Rhys Thom

As a citizen of Nigeria, I have always heard about oil spills and the various effects it has on the environment but it has never been on the news unless people died or there was an explosion. I decided to do some research on the topic and I found a lot of pictures on this oil spill. The effect are numerous; pollution of the environment, loss of farmlands and rivers for fishing, loss of aquatic animals and so on. When you think about all this, you realize that the voices of the oil companies are never heard concerning these issues. I thought to myself; is it that these companies do not care at all? Or is it that they are doing something and are not being recognized for it? I have searched through the internet for what these oil companies have done or are doing to help and I have found very little. I decided to focus on Shell as they discovered oil in Nigeria in 1956.
Shell accepted the blame for the oil spill in 2007 where 13,900 tons of oil was lost. They said they were able to recover 10,000 tons. They blamed the rest of the oil spills on militants and local farmers and fishermen. Yes, militants have destroyed some pipelines but it is nothing compared to what the oil companies themselves have spilt. I mean, you go to a place that has not drilled oil in four years and yet there is a film of oil over their rivers and streams. This is as a result of old and rusty pipelines that have been there for over 40 years now and also because the pipelines run overground even in front of people’s homes making it susceptible to accidental damage. Let me not get carried away. To be honest, militants have attacked some oil pipelines and kidnapped some petroleum workers and fought government troops. This doesn’t mean that they should be blamed for all the spills considering that oil spills have been happening since oil was discovered. Since Shell’s last oil spill in 2008 the amount of oil spilled has quadrupled according to their last environmental report. They blamed an explosion in Iriama in November for this drastic increase. A spokesman for NNPC says that Shell is involved in serious clean-up exercises. Shell's chief executive, Peter Voser, said: “Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta, remains a very challenging place in which to operate. Security issues and sabotage are constant threats to our people, assets and the environment. But we are cautiously optimistic that conditions there are improving.” These oil spills actually affect Shell negatively even though we might not see it. They had about 51 of their employees kidnapped for ransom in 2009 and now their Chief Executive, Peter Voser says that Shell can no longer depend on Nigeria for growing profits. Shell has tried to improve their image in Nigeria since their lawsuit in 1997 concerning the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa. They have tried to clean-up some oil spills but claim to be have been stopped by locals from getting near the pipelines.
Shell keeps blaming militants for their oil spills but that does not change the fact that the locals in the affected communities are suffering and in dire need of assistance in order to survive. I know we can not entirely blame oil companies for the spill, but they have to take responsibility for the oil pills. I know it is cheaper for them to let the spills pass by and settle out of court but they should think of all the lives and properties that are lost. These people in the Niger Delta may be ignorant but they do not deserve to suffer like this. Some of these companies claim that the communities prefer settlements to clean-ups but they should realize that Nigerians are corrupt and love money. They should consider the environment that is lost and clean-up these oil spills. The oil companies should also change their old pipes and bury their pipelines deeper underground so that people including the militants would not have easy access to it.
It is difficult to know whose story to believe, but I think we(oil companies and the people) should work together to reduce these oil spills and make the Niger Delta into the lush and productive region it is supposed to be.
Refer to http://www.blacklooks.org/2010/05/niger-delta-oil-spills-in-perspective/ for more information.

Where's the Media? (Amina)

No wonder many Nigerians do not know or do not care what goes on in the Niger Delta region. I strongly believe that this is because the Nigerian media seems to be careless on the whole environmental issue. On every Nigerian newspaper, news website or magazine, there are sections on lifestyle, property, glamour, business, health etc. But there isn't an environment section in almost all of them. You hardly see an environment related headline even in the popular newspapers. The Nigerian media should really change their attitude towards the enviornment. 

          During every incident of oil spill on the Niger Delta, so many issues arose, like who is responsible, how and why it happens and so on. Well, if the oil companies and the communities will or will not answer those questions, at least the environment should be cleaned up. These people, or more like the environment, suffer from disastrous land, water and air pollution. The oil companies are not doing their best and the people do not know the right ways to clean up oil spills. See attached article for more information.

 Blog_Article_NES201_.docx

Right to Health (Zainab)

 

 Niger delta is one of the 10th most important wetlands and marine ecosystem in the world, with a population of 31 million people. it is naturally blessed with abundant oil (crude) which is the mainstay of Nigeria's economy. this particular area is seriously affecting the lives of people and also the natural environment. full attention is needed from the government to stop this devastating problem. According to a new Amnesty international report, ''the oil industry in Niger Delta has brought impoverishment, conflict, human right abuses and despair to the majority of the people in the oil producing areas''. this is absolutely true, no doubt about it. The right to health, healthy environment and good standard of living has been violated by the oil industries. unfortunately, Nigerian government is failing to hold the oil companies to account for the pollution they have caused.
  More than 60% of the people depend on the natural environment for their livelihood. yet, pollution by the industries are destroying the vital resources on which the depend.The water they drink, cook, wash, bath, the fish they eat, the air they breath and the environment they live are all contaminated by oil and other toxins. these people are normal people like everyone, they deserve to live a happy life as everyone does.
  The United Nation Development program (UNDP) also describe the region as suffering from ''administrative neglect, crumbling social infrastructures and services, high unemployment, social deprivation, abject poverty, filth and squalor, and endemic conflict''. With this comment, I strongly believe that this is the perfect time for the Nigerian government to show some actions because seriously, some VOICES need to be HEARD. 

Flaring Gas...Nigerian Government Says No! (Aishatu)

                        Photo via City of Refuge Africa

Contrary to general opinion, the Government has actually been trying to do something about the problem in the Niger Delta. One of the solutions offered by the the Nigerian Senate is that they have sponsored a gas flaring prohibition and punishment bill, the PETROLEUM INDUSTRY BILL. Basically, the bill states that by December 2010, any company that flares gas would be asked to pay the cost of gas at the prevailing market rate at that time, among other penalties. The bill will also allow any third party that wants to make use of the flared gas to collect it. This will go a long way in reducing the number of pollutants in the atmosphere, and consequently Global Warming, in the Niger delta and the nation at large. I found an article online further explaining the bill. Please, find attached.

Pointing an accusing finger…Who do we blame? (Valentine)

                                  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7519302.stm

The numerous incidents of oil spills in the Niger Delta are a serious problem that has and is still tormenting many Nigerians. The plight of farmers, fishermen and the other residents who live in such oil polluted areas is so enormous, but ‘little or no’ remedy has been offered to ameliorate their conditions. As more and more oil spill cases are encountered, every involved party to such an ordeal tries to lay the blame on the other party. But who then is to be blamed? Is it the locals, the oil companies, the Nigerian government, or who…?

The oil companies (e.g Shell, Chevron and Exxon Mobil) blame the locals of sabotaging and vandalizing the oil pipelines, which then causes the spillage. Such a claim was recently backed by a Shell spokesman in The observer newspaper article of May 30^th, 2010. According to the spokesman, "We had 132 spills last year, as against 175 on average. Safety valves were vandalised; one pipe had 300 illegal taps. We found five explosive devices on one. Sometimes communities do not give us access to clean up the pollution because they can make more money from compensation." Such claims are been contradicted by the locals who on their part, blame the oil companies as well as the Nigerian government for allowing such situations to persist. From the same newspaper article (URL link above), a member of the Ogoni people responded by stating that the blame should fall on the oil companies and government who don’t give attention to the plights of the masses. He said, "If this Gulf accident had happened in Nigeria, neither the government nor the company would have paid much attention."

Who do we blame for these cases of oil spills in the country? Government, locals, or the oil companies or …? As I write this post, I can’t help but question; do we really have to point accusing fingers on anyone? I remember the words of Catherine Pulsifer: “Fix the problem, not the blame.” Nigeria is a great nation and we the citizens should be UNITED as one and try to find improved solutions to these oil spill problems. It is only when we stop the blaming that a possible solution can arise.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell

Spills in Nigeria (Seun)

 Everyone blames shell for the oil spills in the Niger Delta, people have ignored the other things that could be causing these oil spills. Shell will not leave oil spills unattended for as long as they are on purpose because this is costing them a lot of money. For 5 years more than 70% of oil spills have been caused by vandalism of pipelines by militants. The UN released information about this in June 2010 stating that vandalism plays a large role in the environmental pollution of Niger Delta.
      By 2009 98%  by volume of oil spills in SPDC sites were caused by vandals, while 2% was shells fault. This proves shell should not be blamed for everything as militants play their role in the environmental pollution of the Niger Delta. Shell is willing to clean up the oil spills before they get out of hand but they are stopped by community members looking for large compensations or clean up contracts. Shell should not be blamed for all the damage done to the people and the land of the Niger Delta, instead the militants vandalizing pipe lines, and stealing fuel from shell pipes should be dealt with. If this is the rate of oil spills and environmental degradation will go down, shell can be blamed for any environmental pollution that happens then.
link: http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/society/nigeria/spills/