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What you need to know about failure of Ogoniland clean up project 17 months after launch
Is government playing politics with the Ogoniland clean-up?
The clean up exercise is planned to repair environmental damages done to the Niger Delta region, due to unchecked oil spillage from exploration activities. The nation's Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo officially kicked off the clean-up exercise in June 2016.
However, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) - a militant group in the region, has also promised to resume hostilities and attack oil installations. Its main ground was the non-commencement of the clean-up exercise. Other groups who do not advocate violence are also frustrated.
“No clean-up whatsoever has taken place. People are dying. People are being denied justice,” Mr Deinbo OwanaemiEmmanuel, attorney for the Bille kingdom told Reuters.
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To the federal government, this is one event that must be prevented from taking place. Not at this time when the country’s economy is recovering and hope to leverage stable oil price and production to spur growth in the short-term.
However, there are more reasons for government's inaction as regards the clean-up program. This is despite the skeletal activities by Bodo Mediation Initiative (BMI).
1. The cleanup fund of US$1 billion is yet in place
The drastic fall in oil price threatens the revenue of government, thus incapacitating the government in the provision of its part of the funding.
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According to the clean-up deal, each member of the SPDC joint venture is expected to pay a pro-rata share of the $1bn. Members include the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (55% share), SPDC (30%), Total E&P Nigeria (10%) and Agip (5%).
Mr Godwin Ojo, Executive Director of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), confirmed this position.
“From the records we have, the US$10 million promise of initial take-off grant is yet to be released,” Mr Ojo raised during an interview with a local media.
“And that is not even the question, the government and Shell and other joint ventures have come to the understanding that they will be able to pay $200 million on a yearly basis for the $1 billion recommended by UNEP report. The UNEP report recommended $1 billion initial take-off grant, but the government and Shell are already short-changing the people to have a fixation of $1 billion.”
2. Resumption of hostility and oil installation bombings by Militants
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Another reason for the clean-up delay, apart form funding, is the attack on oil installations by the NDA. This group attacked many oil installations belonging to Agip-Eni and Aiteo in Rivers and Bayelsa states, thus, adding to already precarious environmental conditions in the area.
This made the government consider halting activities as regards the clean, as the attack seems un-abating.
3. Activities by host communities
Restraints by many host communities to facilitate the clean-up exercise played a great role in creating this situation.
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For instance, the SPDC and the Bodo Mediation Initiative (BMI) had signed a memorandum of understanding to restart the clean-up of the Bodo creeks. However, the contractors were denied access to the community.
4. Delay in setting up needed factory and structure
As part of the plan devised by UN engineers, oil companies and the government, a factory is expected to be built to process and clean tens of thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil.
However, there is no news of the establishment of such plant, and the mass replanting of mangroves has yet to begin.
Noting all these, there is no way the government would have started a multi-billion dollars project. As it is such to stop during its implementation.
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