Apocalyptic revelations recently escaped Nembe, Bayelsa State, over how an oil spill that started on November 5 from the Santa Barbara Well 1 in Oil Mining Lease, OML 29 operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, AEEPCO, in the Nembe Creek surged on unchecked for over two weeks polluting creeks and farmhands in no fewer than forty communities.
As the spill continued, Nigeria`s President and Minister for Petroleum, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari instructed the Minister of State for Petroleum and a native of Nembe, Mr. Timipre Sylva to visit the affected area. While there, Mr. Sylva expressed the President`s pain at the devastating effect of the spill but was quick to add that the spill was caused by the operational hazards of business.
It happens that in Nigeria`s extremely convoluted oil politics, it is the Niger-Delta – the golden goose that lays the golden eggs – that has had to contend with the black part of the black gold.
Shortly before Nigeria attained independence in 1960, the country struck gold in the eternally fertile soil of the Niger-Delta. Oil was discovered. More than sixty years later, Nigeria`s black gold continues to flow well beyond the country`s borders, reflecting in its shimmer the country`s potential to be great and guarantee a very comfortable life even for its unborn generations.
Examples abound of countries who have made the most out of one of nature`s most valuable gift. The hope was always that Africa`s largest oil producer would follow suit as an exemplar of how to make the most of nature`s bountiful gifts to guarantee economic prosperity not just for its citizens but for its immediate neighbours. It has been anything but.
Out of the sea of Nigeria`s oil have crawled out all manner of dangerous reptiles which have bitten hard into the frayed fabric of Nigeria`s unity and prosperity. The Niger- Delta especially has multiple bite wounds to show for being host to one of nature`s most precious gifts. Their farmlands, water bodies, bodies and even the air they breathe have known horror of epic proportions.
It took the Niger Delta militancy which threatened the country`s oil exploration to force some dialogue. The fruits of that dialogue remain debatable as it seems that only the militants who supposedly represented the people of the Niger-Delta left the table happy. Today, while some of them have become extremely wealthy, business has continued as usual in the Niger-Delta at the expense of its children who have to use oil-polluted water.
Add the profligate drain pipe that the NDDC has been since its inception and it will become obvious that in the face of the environmental horrors the people of the Niger-Delta live with every day, some people carry on their blood business without a care in the world.
The Petroleum Industry Act was recently passed after about two decades of legislative acrobatics. That the Act which is supposed to transform the oil and gas industry has been met with sweltering criticism by many people from the Niger – Delta betrays the fact that as long as the issue is oil in Nigeria, odium and opprobrium will never go away.
There is then the lingering problem of illegal oil bunkering. Already Aiteo, an Indigeneous oil firm which acquired the Oil Mining Lease, OML ,29, from which the spill occurred has maintained that the leak was caused by sabotage by oil thieves who have become an obstacle to oil production and export from the area.
Some days ago, as host to the Chief of Air Staff, Mr. Isiaka Amao, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, accused the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Civil Defense Corp of being complicit in illegal oil bunkering and its devastating impact on the environment.
Those involved in illegal oil bunkering in the Niger-Delta are enemies of the people and avaricious saboteurs of the future of Niger-Delta children. Unless their criminal activities are checked, accountability will continue to elude oil exploration in the Niger-Delta which is coming at such an extortionate cost for its people.
With each passing day, it appears the country and especially those parts of the country which grew unforgivably indolent once oil was discovered, grow increasingly incapable of pinpointing the place of oil in the peaceful, prosperous future Nigeria proposes for her children.
As long as this remains the case, the country can expect to be stuck in an oil rut. Those who shortchange the Niger-Delta in any way can expect to be held to account someday.
Kene Obiezu
Keneobiezu@gmail.com
