Ogoni people are excited over the government’s plan to clean up their environment as that will make them go back to their traditional jobs of farming and fishing, as well as enjoy unpolluted air, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.
Ogoni sons and daughters appear set to return to their traditional occupation of farming, and fishing as the Federal Government embarks on the long overdue clean-up of their environment that has been destroyed by oil spills.
The clean up exercise, which the government promised to be in line with the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) recommendations, was not only greeted with applause among the people of Ogoniland, it has also marked the dawn of a new era for the people who have for long not been engaging in fishing and farming because oil spills that polluted their lands and waters.
With the Federal Government planning to stick to UNEP’s report which stated that stakeholders in the Niger Delta region must work together to restore polluted environments and put an end to all forms of contaminations in the oil producing region, better days are ahead for people of Ogoniland, who are seriously looking for opportunties to go back to their traditional jobs.
The Chairman, Council of Chiefs, Bodo Communities in Kogana Local Government of Rivers State, Mene Slyvester Kogbara, said the over 16,000 residents of the communities cannot wait to go back to fishing, farming, palm oil production, palmwine tapping and other activities as government plans to clean up their land and rivers in order restore their natural habitats.
He said Ogoniland people are originally fishermen and farmers, adding that they have been practising the occupations for decades.
He said: ‘’Historically, the Ogoniland have been cut off from their roots since they are unable to use their lands and rivers for fishing, due to oil spills. While some engage in subsistence farming, others are into mechanised farming. The same applies to fishing. With oil exploration activities destroying their aquatic lives, farmlands, forests and other natural habitats, the people of Ogoniland have no choice than to do jobs that are not satisfactory to them. Now that Federal Government is planning to clean up our land, we would definitely go back to farming and others. ‘’
He said farmlands covering 12,000 acres was destroyed by oil spills, stressing that his people would be able to practise farming well, once the government cleans up the land.
‘’This aside, land used for cash crops, farming and fishing by my people was destroyed. They are used to those jobs and they cannot do any other jobs. That is why we told Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) that payment of compensation was not enough. They (the Company) should clean up our land and waters. No matter the amount Shell paid us, we would squander the money once we do not have areas to invest the money in. My people know the importance of farming and fishing, and would not hesitate to invest the money Shell paid them in the two activities,” he added.
Also, the Director of Environment, Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CHERD), Obodoekwe Styvn, said the people of Ogoniland are eager to go back to farming and fishing once the government cleans up their land.
He said the Ogoni people are praying that the government should do correct clean up/remediation so that they can go back to their traditional occupations. He said Ogoniland is made up of local people who would always like to cling on to their traditional ways of life despite all odds, stressing that such people would want to go back to fishing or farming which they were forced to abandon by oil pollutions.
‘’Ogonis are of farmers and fishers folks. Even with polluted environment, many still do farming and fishing, although they have to toil much more than before to get little or no yields. Some go to far distances in order to do the jobs upon which they depend for survival. Farming and fishing among other local economic activities will certainly be boosted if ogoni environment is properly restored. Yes, people will go back to their original occupation. Moreover, whether they want to go back to their traditional occupation or not, ogonis, like others, are entitled to clean environment.’’ Obodoekwe said.
According to him, the Ogoni people are tired of living like endangered species, and are ready to go back to local activities like farming and fishing, if their environment is properly restored by the government.
Obodoekwe said the people are anxious to go back to farming and fishing, despite the UNEP report which stated that it would take about 30 years to clean the mess caused by oil pollution and return the environment to a useful and productive area.
Sharing Obodoekwe views was, the Business Development Manager, Cerase Environmental Services, Gloria Igboji, who said it is high time Shell, the communities and the Federal Government worked together to end clean-up Ogoniland, and return the people to their traditional occupation.
She said failure to clean up the Ogoniland in time, means inhabitants of the area would not be able to do farming and fishing, which are their major occupations.
She advised the government to compel institutions that would clean the oil polluted areas to use quality chemicals to avoid a re-occurrence of the problems, adding such efforts would make the Ogoni people to back to their traditional jobs.
In a related development, Shell has welcome leadership shown by President Buhari in setting up governance structure for implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme’s report on the cleaning of oil polluted communities the Niger-Delta region.
Shell, according to its Spokesman, Precious Okolobo, said its ready to identify with the government’s aspirations to clean up Ogoniland in order to restore normalcy in the area.
The firm said the oil-polluted communities and the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) were helping its resolve to ensure a cleaner and friendly atmosphere in areas where it is producing oil in the Niger-Delta region.
Shell said its not only committed to deliver the UNEP recommendations directed to it as operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, but would continue to work with the Federal Government and its joint venture partners in order to take the implementation of the UNEP report forward, and contribute to the growth of the communities where it operates.
Shell added: ‘’ We’re greatly encouraged by the positive and constructive response from representatives of the communities, non-governmental organisations, and the civil society in the Niger-Delta. This is an important step forward and SPDC is determined to play its part in maintaining the momentum.’’
The firm said it has taken some measures to remove the spills, caused by its oil exploration activities in the Niger-Delta, arguing that its wholly in support of any move to rid the area of pollutants.
The company said it has cleaned up 47 out of the 50 pipelines that were vandalised, and employed contractors to protect the pipelines, as part of efforts to reduce oil spills in Ogoniland.
The firm said it has promised to contribute to $1billion Ogoniland Restoration Fund, while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Environment in 2014.
Shell and the Bodo Communities have been at logger heads over the embroiled cleaning of the oil polluted areas. The two parties have been trading blames on the issue of cleaning the oil polluted areas.
While Shell, on one hand, accused the communities of not cooperating with it to clean up the spills which, occurred as a result of its oil exploration activities, the communities, on the other hand, alleged that Shell was not applying the right chemicals to clean the land. This informed the decision of Shell to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Environment in 2004 to explain the reason for the delay in cleaning up the Ogoniland, years after the land was destroyed by oil spills.
