The Burden Of Oil Exploration And Need To Save Isoko Nation From Extinction

The Burden Of Oil Exploration And Need To Save Isoko Nation From Extinction

·          IEMC Report Indicts Shell, NAOC, Heritage Oil, Mid-Western, Others Over Environmental Hazards

By Edu Abade

If oil-bearing communities and indeed the Isoko nation must be liberated from the burden of crude oil exploration, exacerbated by decades of fossil fuel extractive activities, government at all levels should act fast to either end oil production or declare a state of emergency in Isoko North and Isoko South local government areas of Delta State.

This is because the oil producing communities in the state have been severely impacted by continued gas flaring, pollution and environmental infractions that have haunted the host communities for decades since 1956, when commercial quantity of crude was first discovered in Oloibiri in present day Bayelsa State, closely followed by discoveries in Uzere, Isoko South Council of Delta State in 1958.

Concerned about the severe environmental infractions, which might lead to ecosystem catastrophe and possible extinction of the Isoko ethnic nationality, the Isoko Environment Monitoring Committee (IEMC), headed by its Chairman, Maimoni Mariere Ubrie-Joe, recently released the result of a survey titled: The State of Isoko Environment Report, which produced a damning verdict on the Isoko area environment.

In its resolutions captured in the Isoko People Manifesto, in which the IEMC succinctly rejected the environmental, human rights violations and concerns in Isoko Land and the divestment narrative, the group maintained that the environmental right remains the right of persons or group of persons to quality environmental conditions.

The report indicted the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Development Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Joint Venture (JV) partners like the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Heritage and Mid-Western Oil, among others for the environmental despoliation of the entire Niger Delta region, especially Isoko and Ogoni lands.

“Environmental rights imply the access to and control of the unspoiled natural resources including food, land, shelter, water, air and environment that allow for human continued existence. These rights have been violated in Isoko Land.

“The continued exploitation of natural resources in Isoko Land has often led to human rights violations, including forced evictions, violence against community protesters, other abuses and even death of many youths in Isoko. The impacted oil producing communities in Isoko have not received adequate compensations or environmental remediation for the different harms and damages caused by oil and gas operations on their land.

“The different environmental and human rights violations in Isoko Land are going on unattended. The oil corporations perpetrating this evil enjoy immunity and government protection. The lack of or weakened rule of law operational in Nigeria and the lack of accountability processes have hindered justice and redress for the Isoko people.

“Isoko communities are among the communities in the Niger Delta that are discriminated against, marginalized, oppressed and lacking access to opportunities,” the report stated.

Citing a 2013 report by Aziakpono and Ukpebor and Isoko Deep (Maxwell 2018), the researchers pointed out that there are over 30 communities in Isoko nation with Oleh and Ozoro as the semi-urban centres and headquarters of Isoko South and North councils.

Consequently, the oil-producing areas in Isoko Land can be captured in the Oil Mining Lease (OML30), which covers the largest upstream facility in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The block covers about 109 square kilometers, comprising no fewer than 77 Oleh oil wells with Uzere (29 functional wells); Owhe (9), Igbide (8), Okpola-Enwhe (6); Ozoro (7), Ellu-Ovrode-Aradhe (10) and Ofagbe (4), among others and according to NNPC (2020), the eight fields of the Isoko oil block currently produce about 395,000 barrels per day (bpd).

“The research team toured the nooks and crannies of Isoko Land and the environment, depicting a sociological imagination that should not exist in modern-day Nigeria. Polluted sites are common, which hinders farming and fishing activities, the mainstay of the rural and semi-urban areas in Isoko Land,” it stated.

Also citing Ajeluorou 2020 report published in The Guardian of June 13, 2016, the IEMC said fundamentally, Isoko land has eight oil fields namely: Uzere East, Uzere West, Oroni, Ogini, Oleh, Olomoro and Oweh Agip fields, adding that a pipeline belonging to NAOC, lying along the Idheze-Irri- Oyede road ruptured and resulted in heavy spillage of crude oil into the environment.

“The defunct Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) revealed that over 6000 spills were recorded in the past four decades of oil exploitation in Delta State with an average of 150 per annum. From 2019 to 2020, incidents of oil spillage occurred and resulted in the spillage of over 10,000 barrels in Delta State with Isoko taking about 48.8 per cent of the total spillage in the state (Akinpelu, 2021).

“Akinpelu further noted that Delta State is the second highest state with cases of oil spillages from 2019 to 2021 with 235 cases of oil spills within that period only behind Rivers State with over 355 cases of oil spills between 2019 and 2021.

“A stakeholder once lamented that the pollution of soil by petroleum hydrocarbon is extensive in Isoko Land, which houses one of the largest oil fields in the country. These cases of pollution exist in the form of contamination of land areas of sediments and swamp land, underground water and surface water.

“Indeed, (Omorede 2019) disclosed that there are many cases of surface water contamination- contamination of rivers, streams and swamp areas in Isoko. For instance, the Urie River in Igbide was covered with floating oil in 2020.”

Accordingly, the researchers observed that very little documented information is available on the exact quantity of oil that is spilled by the oil industry’s offshore jetties, insisting that observations of oil washed onto swamps and streams in Isoko suggest that the extent of pollution remains very significant.

The IEMC report, therefore, recommended the declaration of a state of emergency on the Isoko environment and commence holistic clean-up immediately, investment in impactful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that focus on sustainable development, community empowerment, education and healthcare, as well as prioritization of projects that align with community needs and environmental protection.

It also urged the oil firms to embrace international best practices in environmental protection; adopt new technologies that reduce polluting practices, like gas flaring; implement spill prevention measures; and use ecologically friendly drilling methods.

They must engage in consistent and transparent dialogue with Isoko communities to address their concerns and include them in decision-making processes that affect their environment and people and take responsibility for the environmental damage caused by their operations and promptly remediate affected areas. Execute all-inclusive restoration programmes promptly to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems.

Other demands include relocating oil company headquarters to Isoko Land; Implementing environmental action plan, remediation, policies and laws; An end to treating Isoko as an extension of Agip in Omoku; Employing host communities based on Local Content Act; Paying adequate compensations for oil spills and engaging in immediate cleanup of the environment, among others.

Among other interventionist strategies, Ubrei-Joe urged community leaders and actors to sensitize community members about their environmental rights and the importance of holding oil companies and the government accountable for environmental protection, while host communities should deploy social, broadcast and print media to report cases of oil spillages and pollution so as to get the attention of relevant agencies for quick intervention.

Specifically, the report enjoined the government at all levels to enforce existing environmental laws and regulations, as well as ensure severe penalties for oil corporations that violate environmental standards.

“Government should mandate oil companies to conduct thorough Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) before commencing any exploration or production activities. These assessments should consider potential environmental and social impacts and should include inputs from Isoko host communities.

“To achieve the gains of the efforts, the government must reserve a portion of revenues for environmental protection and remediation projects in Isoko and set up an oil spill response team charged with the responsibility of monitoring and ensuring proper cleanup of the environment,” the report added.