Youths Unemployment and Insecurity in Eleme

Youths Unemployment and Insecurity in Eleme By High Chief Ollorwi Osaro Introduction Unemployment is a term referring to people who are employable and actively seeking jobs but are unable to find jobs. Included in this group are those people in the workforce who are working but do not have an appropriate job - underemployment. Usually measured by the unemployment rate, which is dividing the number of unemployed people by the total number of people in the workforce; unemployment serves as one of the indicators of a country’s economic status. On the other hand insecurity is the state of being unsure. It is period of constantly expressing fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. It is a time of thinking, and some of these thoughts can be filled with doubt, hopelessness, fear and anxiety. When there are no jobs and the hope of meeting the basic human needs are far from realization frustration sets in; evil thoughts override reasoning, and the individual explores several avenues including criminal means to put body and soul together, and make ends meet. The population of Eleme is estimated to be about 304, 608 as at 2020, out of which the youth population, (15 – 35 years of age) is said to be 75%. It is also estimated that about frightening 60% of Eleme youth population is either unemployed or underemployed, a situation that possess great danger to the society in terms of crimes and assorted social vices. Such a large population of unemployed, unengaged, angry, sullen, unproductive youths in any society will constitute a menace and security risk because their lives appear hopeless and yet they are full of youthful energy. For a long time probably since the creation of Eleme Local Government Area in December, 1996, the Eleme youths have been on bondage as a result of unemployment caused by faulty institutional structures, corruption, illiteracy and poor management of resources. Though unemployment is a national phenomenon, the situation in Eleme has reached the crises state, Insecurity in Eleme is characterized by cultism, gangsterism, violence, kidnapping, assassinations, armed robbery, vandalism, theft, environmental insecurity and other vices in the area. Youths form the bulk of unemployed and are burden to the local government. Before now agriculture is the mainstay of Eleme people. Eleme has topography of flat plains netted in a marvellous web of rivers, creeks, streams and swamps including the Bonny River, Nololo Creek, Gberekpii Creek, Okulu Creek, Ochani Creek and Wamba Creek, among others. A good climate with many rivers and creeks and vast areas of arable land make the people of Eleme predominately farmers and fishermen. But the oppressive and forceful acquisition of their lands for multinational and national companies and oil exploration and production activities and mindless pollution of the environment has robbed the people of agricultural activities and afflicted them with severe pains including food insecurity and poverty. Yes, unemployment is responsible for food insecurity and has caused majority of Eleme youths to develop the feeling of inadequacy and uncertainty; they see themselves as not good enough. Unemployment produces high degree of anxiety about ones goals, relationship, and ability to handle certain situations. Youth unemployment have significantly contributed to the dramatic rise in criminal activities such as armed robbery (Salami, 2013), cultism, prostitution, theft, civil unrest, abductions and kidnapping of persons irrespective of status, religion or age. Youth unemployment is a major challenges facing Eleme today. Admittedly, the problem of youth unemployment is a national problem due to corruption and the high poverty levels requiring all of us to work in order to ensure not only survival but security. Again, Eleme youths are linked to violence, cultism, kidnapping and sometimes robbery by unemployment. Unemployment in Eleme has given to rise street crimes such snatching of motorcycles, handsets and other valuables at gun point. We have witnessed slightest resistance resulting in shooting the victim to death and carting away the items. Really, the rate of youth unemployment in Eleme has reached crisis point requiring consistent government urgent action to create jobs and prosecute all individuals who have corruptly enriched themselves thereby denying Eleme youths the opportunities of being employed. The Eleme youth has become more disillusioned by the day, especially with the strong feeling of frustration about his inability to be employed when he is capable, willing and qualified to work and especially the realization that active companies are dotted here and there around him and he sees vehicles railing thousands of people to and from work on daily basis. Emphatically, the increasing rate of unemployment amongst Eleme youths has increased the wave of armed robbery, prostitution, kidnapping, cultism, illegal oil bunkery, and on-going abductions of citizens and residents with reckless abandon as well as the popular street crimes. During the courtesy visit on the Executive Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Chief Hon. Obarilomate Ollor (JP) in his office at Ogale by the Executives of KAGOTE led by its President, Emmanuel Deeya the Council Chairman expressed displeasure over the attitude of multinationals operating in Eleme cosmopolitan area when it comes to employment of Eleme youths.. He observed that lack of job creation, skills and vocational training of the teeming youths of the land by these companies results in increase criminality and heightened the insecurities suffered in the area in recent past. Again, during the courtesy visit by the leadership of Ogoni Ethnic Nationality to His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on Friday, 22 October, 2021 it also re-echoed that the provision of gainful employment for our teeming youths will “check restiveness” in the area. The impact of unemployment in Eleme is being felt by both the rich and the poor. In fact, unemployment has made it impossible for many couples in Eleme to face the challenge and crisis of marriage necessitating high level of divorce. The ripple effect of unemployment in Eleme can better be imagined than felt. It is a serious social and economic issue that results in a tremendous impact on everything but is often overlooked. The presence of numerous multinational and national companies operating in Eleme, and the high level of unemployment among our youths in the area calls for concern by all. A stronger system of assessing unemployment in Eleme should be put in place in order to determine its causes and how to address it better. The problem of unemployment in Eleme is further compounded by some chiefs and leaders turn contractors who sell jobs openings and opportunities to strangers, and/or pay Eleme indigenes enslavement monthly salary of 20% or less of their total entitlement. This is demonic and acute wickedness. Instead of selling job opportunities to strangers, please declare them for sale to Eleme youths so that they can buy, work and grow on the job. Similarly, the war against unemployment in Eleme cannot be won with the existing narrow, myopic and selfish definition of host community. Distinction has to be made between immediate landlords (landowners) and the community at large. The definition of host community needs to be broadened to encompass the whole of Eleme that suffer the impacts of environmental pollution and degradation arising from the operations of these companies. The impacts of pollution does not know Ebubu person neither does effects of environmental degradation recognize Ekporo person. All those within the radius suffer equally. Also, efforts should be made by governments at all levels to create jobs and strengthen job market regulation in Eleme so that Eleme youths with education or skills can live a meaningfully and contribute to the development of the area. Government and policy makers should strengthen the local content/host community regulations relating to employment of citizens of the host communities in order to give job chances our youth with the relevant skills and education. Government should build strong economic institutions and those already in place, be strengthened to create jobs for the youths for Eleme youths. The power sector in Eleme demands immediate attention for power is the heart-beat of the local informal and formal sector to drive the economy. Efforts should be made to encourage vocational, technical and entrepreneurial education in Eleme for self-employment; while corruption and mismanagement of our resources ought to be dealt with vigour. Eleme people in Diaspora with capital should be encouraged to come home and invest. Education should be made free and compulsory in Eleme, at least to secondary school level. Heads of schools that levy pupils/students unnecessarily or make one illegal monetary demand or the other should be fished out and brought to book. Finally, the Eleme Local Government Council should strengthen and empower the Eleme Employment Bureau (EEB) as an Agency of the Local Government, to update its Unemployment Data Base (UDB) and seriously scout for jobs from all the multinational and national companies operating in Eleme as well as Federal and State Governments establishments, ministries and agencies, etc. for the teeming unemployed youths of Eleme extraction. As KAGOTE President, Emmanuel Deeya said, “Eleme is the hub of the petroleum industry in Nigeria…..People cannot do business in an unsecure environment” Of a truth, it is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of organisations doing business in Eleme to employ Eleme citizens. The host community philosophy upholds that; the local contents legislation supports that. Even the much talk about immediate catchment area guideline adheres to that. Eleme has given more, Eleme deserves more! Eleme is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy! If the employable Eleme youths are taken off the streets and properly engaged in gainful employment, and companies in Eleme regularly pay relevant revenues instead of hiding under Abuja cover, and execute their corporate social responsibility as demanded by law, the attention of the Eleme Local Government will not be diverted to insecurity, but concentrate and devote all its efforts and resources towards the development of the area, and in no distance time Eleme will see what is called real development and transformation. High Chief Ollorwi Osaro

 

Importance of Childhood Life Celebration in Eleme Culture

Introduction

Celebration is a special enjoyable event that people organize because something pleasant has happened or because it is someone's birthday or anniversary. The celebration of something is praise and appreciation which is given to it. In Eleme culture, all of a child’s milestones and major accomplishments are celebrated and this gives the child a sense of achievement, and offers a widow for rewarding the child for a job well done. The life of the Eleme child is eventful. The Eleme culture have a process to carefully recognise each of the events, identify it, appreciate it, celebrate it and award it from cradle to grave. The people of Eleme celebrates birth, naming, sitting, crawling, talking, teething, dedication, walking, hunting, socialisation, graduation, marriage, coronation, conferment, promotion, anniversary, death, among others.  

The people of Eleme also celebrate and shower gifts on their family member and friend who join association (ogbo) and unveil/launch their group (chusɛ ogbo), song and dance, clothe, masquerade, and so on. This is captured in the adage, “Ɔnɛ Osila aka nyɛ nje rēɛ je Èkpété. Someone without mother’s first daughter will not dance Èkpété. Èkpété is a special musical presentation and energetic dance that brings people together from far and near. The style is exciting waist and footwork danced bear footed. It attracts presentation of different types of gifts to the celebrants (who are members of the group) by family members and friends.   The reason for this proverb is that if you have no relations no matter how good your dance steps are no one will be at the town square, venue of the celebration, to present you gift.   

In fact, since the beginning of time, the people of Eleme have given high priority towards the commemoration of special events in the life of the child. Every major events and achievements in the life of the Eleme Child is celebrated and is culturally designed to appreciate and reward the child. Each event or achievement offers the Eleme Child an opportunity to be treated to showers of gifts for accomplishing something challenging in life and it enables the adult family and friends to share in the joy of that accomplishment.

Special events like childbirth, naming, teething, walking and so on do lead up to/with great gusto. The Eleme culture and tradition developed its own unique ways of honouring special occasions in the life of the child from the beginning of time. These are direct products of our cultural background, history, and even religious beliefs. Few among these celebrations are discussed below:

1.     Childbirth Celebration

In Eleme culture the birth of a child is greeted with jubilation. Childbirth is considered the most important event in family life. Experienced traditional midwives are responsible for delivering babies. They help to deliver the baby. After delivery, the birth of the baby is celebrated. Family members, friends, well-wishers, men, women, boys and girls from far and near join in the ceremony that followed the birth of a baby, and the child’s father was expected to give a feast for all members of the clan in recognition of the powers of womanhood. This celebration is known as Birth Celebration (Agba Emásã). It entails drinking, singing and dancing. Some family have also added music and foods to solidify the birth celebration. Powder is also shared and rubbed freely by all. The women usually grace the day with the following song and dancing:

Seɛ onwi nje, amɛ ɛka nɛɛ (chɛrɛ) poida onwi?

This, when interpreted into English Language means:

If the child is not there, who will give (rub) child’s powder? 

Rubbing of the child’s powder is the climax of the childbirth celebration. This is usually extended to outside the immediate compound to include neighbourhoods.

2.     Naming Ceremony

Eleme tradition vests the responsibility of naming a child on the father. Where the father is deceased, his next-of-kin takes over the responsibility. Eleme father don’t just get up one morning to name his child. He contemplates for months, trying on different names to see which one will suit the child’s purpose, bundle and dreams. This is because the Eleme father knows that in traditional Eleme culture names have real meaning and power. Eleme names are not mere tags to distinguished one person from another or labels to define, classify, or compare persons or things but an expression of the nature of what the entity represents or stands for. They tell the family stories and exhibit the hopes and expectations of the parents concerning their children’s future. Every child in Eleme has at least a native and a Christian name.

 

Because it is generally believed that names are like spirits which would like to live out their meanings, parents do a thorough search before giving names to their children. Naming ceremonies are performed with the same meticulous care, generally by the father. Symbolic of the hopes, expectations and prayers of the parents for the new baby, drink (mmi), food (nja), water (mmu), palm oil (nnɔɔ Eleme), salt (nlό) each have a place and special meaning in the world-view of the people of Eleme. For instance, drink (mmi) represents celebration, and the prayer of the parents is that their baby’s life will be celebrated in the world and beyond. Drinks are usually served, singing and dancing rends the atmosphere as people from far and near are invited to participate in the naming ceremony. Some families are known to have brought life band to entertain guests; others use deejays (DJs) while others hire the services of local singers to grace the occasion. 

3.     Teething Ceremony

It is a time honoured tradition in Eleme culture to throw a party for your little ones as soon as they cut their first tooth. When the baby shows his first teeth, his parents, relations and well-wishers will gather around the baby as he sits in front well dressed to celebrate the milestone. Each person will struggle to see the baby’s teeth, enticing the child with gifts of all sorts so that he will smile for his teeth to be seen and admired. Hence, it is generally known in Eleme that “You cannot see the teeth of a child with an empty hand”. Baby will be encouraged to walk in front of someone who wants to see his teeth while holding baby’s hands. As the baby is cheered to laugh and expose his teeth there will be loud ovation and offer of lots of encouragement and praise.  

4.     Walking Ceremony

Walking is a major developmental leap for babies, and parents are often anxious about when it will happen. Every baby learns to walk at his own pace.  When the parents watch and see that the child has make few steps unaided, it is assumed that the child has walked and fit to be celebrated.  The parents will procure three or more heads of coconut, depending on the number of children invited, two big rackets of Awala and four or more sticks of dried Obĩi (Mudskipper). The coconut will be shelled and cut into small pieces. The Awala and Obĩi are cut into small pieces and mixed with the pieces of coconut. These will all be put into a basket. By this time the whole children in the neighbourhoods, as many as is possible, are assembled with the celebrant.

The elder of that compound who has been briefed beforehand will carry the basket with both hands and addressing the toddler who is standing in front of him, recites the following:

Èbé era nninini  chãa  ochɛyo tãmarũ.Ka chãrĩ wɛ oju obãrãrũ okuũ

Chã sigwã ɔka, chã sigwã echii. Ebo akɔrɔrũ ɔmɛ.

 

This, when interpreted into English Language means:

 

“As from today you should walk steadfastly. Do not walk and relapse to creeping again.

Walk to the farm; walk to the market. Enjoy a long life.”

 

After this recitation, the elder will then turn towards all the children who are now standing expectedly and tell then to widen the circle and prepare to pick the contents of the basket. He will raise the basket up and down a number of times saying:

Ɔnɛ Ebu, abu chue!

(“Who struggles to pick, pick and take!”)

And the children will respond, “Aaye!” (Yesoo!)

 

After ensuring that the children attention has been obtained the elder finally throws out all the content high up so that when they fall, each child will struggle to pick as much of the contents as he can. The agile ones gather so much of the fish and coconut while the weaker ones pick whatever may be left on the floor. This ceremony is known as Obuenu O'o Onwi.

5.     First Market Ceremony

The first day that a child walks unaided to the village market unaided is celebrated. This ceremony is figuratively called, Oke Enu O'o Onwi. The Eleme culture acknowledges the significant of this milestone achievement of the child and celebrates it. 

When the child walks to the market unaided his mother makes him to sit at a comfortable in the market while she buys something for the child to eat. She buys a big fish like dried barracuda, catfish, snapper, or Tasty-Shynose and other ingredients which she hides.

At home, the fish will be brought out and showed to the child as his Prize for walking unaided to the market and back. The fish will be used to cook Loloo Mbalo and the entire head of the fish will be given to the child. Family and friends are given pieces of the fish and the Loloo Mbalo as they eat and drink to the child’s achievement.          

6.     Hunting Celebration

The Eleme child is taught the use of bow and arrow and latter catapult and animal traps.  He begins by shooting lizards and fixed targets like oranges and pawpaw fruits. He is taught fishing by his friends. When the male child kills his first bird or animal, it is cooked and cut into small pieces which are distributed to family and friends, distance relations and people far and near. They are informed that this is the bird or animal, he has killed. His parents will give him one piece of nice cloth each; while other persons will give him gifts of clothes, money and so on. The day is usually marked with singing and drinking to celebrate the attainment of the milestone.

7.     Food Celebration (Ogbo Nja)

The people of Eleme don’t just eat food for eating sake. Food must be of the right quality and quantity; it must result in a stable and adequate nutrition for proper growth and development. The Eleme culture has developed a system known as Ogbo Nja to build oneness among the Eleme people and promote proper feeding and ensure communality. Ogbo Nja is food carnival.  Most Eleme festivals revolved around foods because they are fulfilled farmers and they use food to build bridges of relationship, cement brotherliness, encourage socialisation, enhance cooperation and enhance communality among others.  Other prominent food celebrations in Eleme include but not limited to Agba Esaa Otɛbɛ Enu and,Okor Esaa..

When a child grows to the age of seven (7) years and beyond, he is encouraged to participate in the Ogbo Nja ceremony in which small groups of children from within and outside ones immediate community are brought together as friends that have to cooperate with one another as they grow up.

Ogbo Nja is one of the most popular festivals celebrated across Eleme. Although people of all ages, sex, social status, or religious inclination do participate; the festival is met for children and new brides. It is celebrated annually on Ͻkͻͻ between 13 and 17 July, depending on the position of the Moon. The feast is celebrated in two phases. Phase one is called Ͻkͻͻ Obibai Etoo and is celebrated by female.

 

The second phase which is marked by male the next day is known as Mma Agba Okundo.

In Eleme, yams, cocoyam and other foods items are reserved after planting for the Ogbo Nja festival. It is believed that only very good farmers can reserve the quantity and quality of yams, cocoyam, etc. that is required for Ogbo Nja at the time of the year. The fish used for preparing Ogbo Nja meal are those valued by people of Eleme for major entertainments and they include: Obui (Catfish), Nda (Tasty-Shynose), Njijoi (Snapper), Omεε (Barracuda), Ekoko (Stingray), among others.

 

Ogbo Nja is specifically dedicated to children and new brides. It is celebrated with friends in pair. Children arrange for their friends to visit them to participate in the annual celebration. New brides also seek for their partners to take active part in the occasion.

 

The occasion provides an avenue for clearing the house of old yams and cocoyam in anticipation of new ones. It also affords parents and in-laws opportunity to present gifts to children and new brides in appreciation of their assistance during planting and weeding. To be counted as good children and be presented with varieties of gifts and words of blessings, children exercise maximum obedience and discipline in anticipation Ogbo Nja festival.

 

In the morning of day one occasion, children usually wake as early as 4.30am to clear the compounds and town square in readiness for the celebration. The children will also fetch water into all available pots and containers. The atmosphere is usually charged as evidence of Ogbo Nja festive period.

 

Parents will assemble their children and present them with gifts of clothes and wrapper. Gifts will also be sent to children of extended relations and friends to commemorate the year’s Ogbo Nja.

 

The recipients of these new clothes would wear them and go visiting friends and relations to display their gifts across Eleme. As the children move from compound to compound and from community to community filled with happiness, they receive words of encouragement and praise for being obedient and hardworking; and promising them of greater gifts next year. The new brides are also presented with new dresses and wrappers by their husbands, father-in-law and mother-in-law, etc.

 

That evening the women will gather at the town square dressed in their best and newest attires to make a feast, singing and dancing to Egbe Mba music till night falls. By 6p.m. or thereabout, the women will return to their various houses to dish out food to their visiting guests and family members. The food for this day is cocoyam.

 

The celebration is designed in such a way that children move from compound to compound and from community to community, eating and rejoicing. At the end of the day, they will return home with wrapped fish as proof of participation in Ogbo Nja feast of that day. The new brides will also do the same.

 

The day two celebration starts with the same preparation. It is the men’s turn to present gifts to children and others who were loyal, obedient and hardworking during the year according to his assessments. The food for the second day celebration is yam, which will be cooked and eaten pounded and/or sliced. The women will continue their music, singing and dancing at the town square. Later in the evening, the men will gather at the town square to eat together in groups, thereby bringing the Ogbo Nja festival of that year to an end

 

These and many other childhood ceremonies which are celebrated on an individual or community basis reinforce and promote sense of community, love, joy, reverence, success, unity and brotherhood. It gives the child a sense of achievement and it is a great way of rewarding the child for a job well done. Besides, it is important that you celebrate your child’s milestones and accomplishments. Significantly too, because most of these celebrations involve almost all the children, their parents and other adult family members and friends in the community they are not just celebrated for the fun of celebrating but to:

1.     Cultivate/inculcate a Sense of Community

They offer opportune times to bond with our families and friends and well-wishers and a chance to connect with those we love and care about on a deeper and more profound level.

2.     Promote a sense of achievement and encourage exploit

These celebrations spur our children to greater achievements and propel them to make positive exploits; to accomplish those milestones worthy of celebration and praise. Then criminality and all forms of anti-social behaviours were frowned at and industry was cherished.

3.     Instil a sense of meaning and significance to our lives as a people

The unique practices that highlight important milestones such as childbirth, naming, walking etc. all serve an important purpose. Participating in the customary rites (rubbing of powder, singing, dancing, drinking or children struggling among themselves to get pieces of coconut and fish during Oken Enu O'o Onwi) connects us to the significance of the role that such occasion plays within the grand scheme of our lives. It instils a sense of appreciation for the gift of life.

4.     Create lasting fond memories 

The human mind tends to recall memories that carry a high emotional charge to them. When we commemorate a special occasion in the life of our baby, we are essentially placing a mental bookmark on the child’s experience, thereby making it easier to remember it in the future. The photos, videos and other forms of memorabilia from those occasions serve as triggers that children can use to re-live those pleasant experiences and achievements in the future.

5.     Add fun and excitement to our lives

These Celebrations can be incredibly fun and provides children and their parents with the perfect opportunity to engage in the joys of life such dance, song, food, play and laughter.

6.     Enables children take their place in the circle of life.

They are not only ushered into the world but celebrated at every point of achievement. Besides, when we take the time to celebrate these events that were cherish and celebrated by our ancestors in the yesteryears we are essentially connecting with our humanity and the commonality that we share with all those who have been long gone before us.

The modern Eleme family’s carefree life of excluding themselves from participating in gatherings that pay homage to the important milestones in their children’s life is robbing Eleme  younger generation sense of achievement, community, love, peace, cooperation and fun that comes with these celebrations.

TASK BEFORE NPDC IN OGONI

THE TASK BEFORE NPDC IN OGONI

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has blood on its hands. SPDC has spilled blood all over Ogoniland through its activities and actions. The company has also caused massive environmental destruction in the Ogniland where over 60 million gallons of oil is said to have been spilled onto farmlands and community water supplies. The destroyed land and water formerly provided sustenance for the indigenous people of Ogoni.

SPDC crimes in Ogoniland also include its roles in providing financial assistance, logistics support, guns and moral support to the Nigerian military dictatorship for the execution of the Ogoni 9 environmental activists including Ken Saro-Wiwa when they demanded that SPDC cleanup spilled oil in Ogoniland and share the profits more equitable with oil bearing communities.

This campaign of terror embarked upon by Shell which led to the murder of nearly 2,000 Ogoni people with some tortured to death is well known among the Ogonis and will remain indelible in the minds of the Ogonis for several generations to come.

For decades, the people of Ogoni have complained about the usurpation of their land and resources, the destruction of their culture, and the eventual decimation of the people. It is on record that since 1958, $30 billion worth of oil has been taken from beneath the land of the Ogoni, yet essentially zero benefits have accrued to the Ogoni people themselves, reported World Council of Churches. When the group sent observers to Ogoniland in 1995, they found no piped water supplies, no good roads, no electricity, and no proper health care facilities.

Shell, a Dutch Company is the 10^th largest corporation in the world and the first in profitability. The company has 96 oil production wells in Ogoniland, 5 flow stations and numerous gas flares which have operated continuously since 1958. By the end of 1992, Ogoni oil production was some 28,000 barrels per day, about 3% of SPDC’s total oil production. Shell also maintains many high-pressure oil pipelines that crisscross Ogoniland, carrying oil from other parts of Nigeria to the shipping terminal at Bonny.

As a result of growing pressure for reform in Ogoniland in 1993, SPDC ceased oil production in the area, but retained its network of pipelines carrying oil produced elsewhere in Nigeria. Although the World Council of Churches finds evidence that SPDC has not ceased oil production in Ogoniland, the company insists its production wells are idle.

Whether SPDC oil wells in Ogoniland are producing oil or not, between 1976 and 1980, Shell operations caused 784 separate oil spills in Nigeria. From 1982 to 1992 additional spills were recorded. Since SPDC “ceased oil production” in Ogoniland in 1993, Shell admits further 24 oil spills have occurred in the area.

Apart from the World Council of Churches’ findings which linked SPDC to continued oil drilling in Ogoniland, in one of the documents I stumbled on in my study during the course of gathering facts for this article captioned, “COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE MOSOP GLOBAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN ACCRA, GHANA, MARCH 28 – 30, 2002 and singed by Meshach Karanwi, General Secretary – MOSOP International, accused Shell of adopting “nascent lateral oil drilling techniques to drill oil from Ogoniland from remote locations”. The same document stated in Article 10 “That MOSOP reasserts its stand on Shell as persona non-grata in Ogoni”.

The Ogoni people see SPDC and the Federal Government of Nigeria as partners in crime against oil bearing communities and the people of Ogoni. Their conspiracy to destroy Ogoni communities and kill the people has not abated, only opportunities are yet to present themselves.

It is true that the spirit of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders and that of other Ogoni martyrs will continually hunt NPDC or any other company that comes to Ogoniland for oil production through SPDC and the Federal Government of Nigeria. Besides, it is impossible for NPDC to severe relationship with SPDC and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The fears of the people concerning NPDC are numerous.

1.      If SPDC, a Dutch company that operates in 100 countries has 40% of its oil spills in Nigeria, what will happen when NPDC, a company owned and managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria with its poor managerial cultures and oppressive tendencies fully become operational in Ogoniland?

 

2.      It is on record that Shell only provided the needed finance, logistics, guns and moral support yet nearly 2,000 Ogonis and their leaders were murdered. What will be the fate of the entire Ogonis when NPDC, an Hausa/Fulani owned company fully becomes operational in Ogoniland?

 

3.      There is wide spread fears among the Ogonis that the so-called NPDC is SPDC in disguise. They are watching perhaps to unveil the actual group behind the new masquerade in town.

 

4.      In the ongoing consultation and sensitization by NPDC the Ogonis are already seeing SPDC dance steps and are watching carefully. The words of Dr. Owens Wiwa, Ken Saro-Wiwa’s brother now forms topic of discussion across Ogoniland. Hear him, “Our people are dying in the hands of our government and Shell”. Will NPDC not mobilize Nigeria soldiers to kill the remaining Ogoni people when they eventually dare to ask for their rights to share in oil profits?

 

NPDC activities in Ogoniland are already pitching communities against each other. Groups are already at loggerheads with each other. Interests are now colliding daily. In Eleme, war is breeding between SPDC GMOU Cluster Development Board based in Ebubu and “Council of Traditional Rulers of Oil Bearing Communities”, a private company (Trustee?) based in Ogale on who is the rightful representative. The community leaders on the other hand are also agitating for recognition and direct participation in the oil money. Towards this end, groups are already petitioning NPDC Management disclaiming and dissociating from other groups and their activities.  The story is the same in Korokoro, Bunu-Botem, Yorla, K-Dere and other Ogoni communities. Only God will save Ogoniland from the hands of the Nigerian government and Shell Oil.

 

5.       For the Ogonis, Shell and its activities have brought poverty, environmental devastation, and widespread severe human rights abuses. The Nigeria government who is primarily responsible for environmental tragedy in Ogoniland cannot be a good business partner when it comes to oil production in Ogoniland. The Ogonis are convinced that irrespective of the damning UNEP Ogoniland report that it would take 30 years to cleanup Ogoniland, the federal government is only concern with commencing oil production in Ogoniland. And is bent on forcing the Ogonis to allow for oil production or be hanged to death. This fear is further reinforced by the fact that the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company is a subsidiary of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the most senior partner in the petroleum industry in Nigeria and it is owned 100% by the federal government of Nigeria.

 

6.      Ogonis fear that their interests will not be guaranteed and protected. NPDC have concluded negotiation with SPDC to take over its facilities in Ogoniland without resorting to the Ogonis the rightful owners of the oil. The question here is, without oil can NPDC buy SPDC facilities in Ogoniland? NO. And if the answer is no, why was the Ogonis not involved in the negotiation from the beginning bearing in mind that oil drilling has caused devastating impacts on Ogoni environment? That the effects of oil spills, gas flaring and deforestation have stripped Ogoniland of its environmental resources, destroying the subsistence farming and fishing based economy of the Ogonis is enough to allow the Ogonis to negotiate who to do oil business with in its own terms. The Ogonis, as usual, will resist any attempt by the government to impose any firm of condition or force any marriage of inconvenience on the Ogonis. To the Ogonis, any company seeking to carry out oil production in Ogoniland must directly negotiate with the Ogonis and such company must comply fully with environmental best international practices, including UNEP and UNCTAD basic standards.

 

Again, the way and manner the Ogoni 9 were framed up, convicted and executed by hanging on November10, 1995 and the treatment melted out to the family members of Ken-Saro Wiwa, John Kpuinen, Dr. Barinem Kiobel, Saturday Doobee, Daniel Gbokoo and Felix Nuate is enough to make the Ogonis yet unborn wary of the federal government of Nigeria and her oil companies.

 

7.      The fears of the Ogoni people is also compounded by the activities of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Program (HYPREP), a federal government body responsible for the implementation of the UNEP report for the cleanup of  Ogoniland which has been moribund due to government insincerity towards the Ogoni cleanup. The sudden reawakening of HYPREP and the way it is going about its “sensitization” is both suspicious and worrisome.

 

8.      The Ogoni people still hold the Federal Government of Nigeria and SPDC responsible for the militarization and criminalization of Ogoniland. The World Council of Churches report corroborated this perception. According to the World Council of Churches, “There are more guns and ammunition in the public domain and hunger is pushing more people into crime. It is not surprising that there is no security of persons and property. The crime rate has skyrocketed”. Perhaps, the Federal Government of Nigeria has forgotten the last words of Ken Saro-Wiwa, “Lord take my soul, but the struggle continues”. Some ethnic nationalities in Nigeria can mortgage their conscience or betray their leader for the sake of fear or for fame, cheap popularity, money, but not the Ogoni people.

 

And true to the nature of the Nigerian government and its agencies, HYPREP came into Ogoniland with a fixed mindset and preconceived project for the Ogonis not seeking the people’s input or bothering about their needs. Analysis of the discussions between the visiting HYPREP officials and natives in all the Ogoni communities revealed masters and servants’ relationship and not partners in business. It is “Take water or leave it”. “Only contractors with high technology will be allowed into Ogoni to demonstrate and test their new technology before engagement”. “Only youths with at least a Master Degree in Environmental Management will be trained and engaged for the cleanup”. These were some of the HYPREP edicts to the oil bearing communities.

That is, in the characteristics of all federal government agencies the promises are so vague that leaves more to be desired. HYPREP Coordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, said that HYPREP will provide clean drinking water to impacted communities; update baseline data of UNEP report; conduct health impact assessment study; demonstrate remediation technology; construct an Integrated Containment Soil Management Centre and Centre of Excellence all in New Bori City and training. The Ogoni people have heard all these over and over again.

The Ogoni people are aware that the UNEP Report upon which the cleanup is hinged recommends some emergency measures to be taken to intervene in the lives of the Ogoni people before the cleanup. The provision of potable water is welcomed, since their sources of water are contaminated by oil spill, but shouldn’t be the only intervention programme. Apart from water sources the economy mainstay of the people has been destroyed and their sources of livelihood ruined by oil production activities.

The deprivation clauses in HYPREP arrangements are also worrisome. The training, perhaps, is conceived for only those with “Master Degree in Environmental Management”, while the empowerment programme is expected to be preserve for the “poor of poor widows”. Education, health, roads, electricity and other infrastructures which are equally on the people’s priority list and which has continue to keep the people at disadvantage position and hold them down beyond poverty level are to wait.

Between HYPREP and NPDC who is now forerunner to who? That is, is HYPREP forerunner to NPDC or vice versa? Can the Federal Government of Nigeria answer this question since both bodies are government agencies on an errand of maneuvering for the federal government to commence oil production in Ogoniland with its soldiers on standby to invade Ogoniland in case of any resistance?

The timing for the NPDC consultation and HYPREP sensitization in Ogoniland speaks volume and leaves the people wondering the rationale behind the rush.

The Ogoni people as oil producing area expect greater stake in the control and management of oil business in its territory. They anticipate equity in the allocation of revenue so that oil revenue can be used for the development of their environment.

They also believe that they own the resources above, beneath, and within their territory and therefore reason that all laws that impinge on their independence and natural rights to property or resources that is found in their territory, such as the Petroleum Act, Mineral Acts, Oil Pipelines Act, the Land Use Act and other laws instituted by the Federal Government of Nigeria be abrogated. While Section 315 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which entrenches the Land Use Act and Section 215 (1) of the same Constitution which gives Federal High Court exclusive jurisdiction to determine cases involving mines and minerals, including oil fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas be expunged from the Constitution.  

The tasks before the NPDC in Ogoniland therefore are enormous. Can NPDC convince the Ogonis that it can deliver on its own expectations? What are these expectations? How will it go about them? The Ogonis will want to know.

To do this the company must come closer to the people, sit with the people and discuss with the people publicly and not the present arrangements of talking to selected few (who are bent on hijacking or cornering the people’s benefits) in hotels and in their private houses.

 

The Ogoni people are well-educated, including in things of oil and are very much aware of SPDC and Nigeria Government divide and rule tactics and are ready to play along with NPDC. But, will NOT allow the NPDC to embark on oil production activities in Ogoniland when the time comes, except the company approach them openly, genuinely agree business terms with the Ogonis, and enter into a well-defined and valid memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ogonis where their interests will be defined, guaranteed and protected based on international standards. To marshal the people’s trust, gain their support and cooperation NPDC must express real sincerity of purpose in Ogoniland. 

Conclusion

1.      The Federal Government of Nigeria must as a matter of importance involve the Ogoni people in its resolve to providing necessary infrastructures and conducive environment for oil production activities in Ogoniland.

2.      The Federal Government of Nigeria must put a structure in place to provide for the licensing of Oil Bearing Communities to participate in the business of oil production.

 

3.      The government must demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt its commitment to cleanup all oil spills in Ogoniland and allow independent international body of experts to periodically assess cleanup activities.

 

4.      The federal government must cease its attempts to disguisedly force the Ogonis to sign statements which invite Shell or any other company to come to Ogoniland for oil production activities.

 

References

1.      Hutchful E. (1985) “Oil Companies and Environmental Pollution in Nigeria”, London, Longman Press

2.      Saro-Wiwa, Ken (1994) As quoted from Rowell, Andrew (1994), Shell-shocked, the environmental and social costs of living with Shell in Nigeria, Amsterdam: Greenpeace International.

3.      SPDC (1995) Nigeria brief: The Environment.

4.      The London Observer, January, 28, 1996, “Shell Admits Importing Guns for Nigeria Police”.

5.      Claude Ake (ed) Political Economy of Nigeria, London, Longman Press.

6.      World Council of Churches (1996), Ogoni The Struggle Continues, Geneva, Switzerland.

7.      “Communiqué Issued At The MOSOP Global Leadership Conference In Accra, Ghana, March 28 – 30, 2002.

8.      http://www.greenpeace.org

9.      http://www.shellnigeria.com 

Site of Recent Oil Spill in Egbalor Ebubu Eleme

SPDC Staff in White Top Making Call at Site of Recent Oil Spill in Egbalor Ebubu

Dr. Marvin Dekil, HYPREP Coordinator Addressing Ebubu People