IOCs divestments: NGO seeks media support to ensure environmental accountability

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) has sought the support of media practitioners to ensure environmental accountability in the ongoing divestment by International Oil Companies (IOCs) from onshore to offshore fields.

CEHRD, an environment-focused Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) made the advocacy at a Media parley on Thursday in Yenagoa.

The theme of the event was: “Divestments and Environmental Accountability, The Role of the Media.”

Dr Tammy Cookey, Programme Lead, Pollution and Remediation at CEHRD noted that the NGO has observed that environmental concerns by the host communities were not being discussed as part of the divestment deals by IOCs.

Cookey said the research results from the oilfields across the Niger Delta indicated that the oil-bearing host communities were being left out of the divestment dialogue.

In his remarks, the Environmental Governance Officer of CEHRD, Dr Meshack Uyi, explained that the framework being used for the divestment is hazy.

He urged the media to help the organisation champion the cause of making sure that the oil and gas companies complied with best practices before divesting.

Uyi said “We want you people to help us champion the cause of the communities that you have been championing over the years and for the fact that we are looking at those who are voiceless today, we know that with you, their voices will be heard.

“We are hoping that with the interaction today, the issue of divestment will adequately be looked into and we are hoping that Bayelsa citizens will have respite in the shortest possible time.

“Divestment has laid down principles regarding the sale of assets but that of the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria, there seems to be no clear-cut policy on that aspect. What is being used right now is a model not specifically suited to the oil and gas industry.

“And that is why as an NGO, we are calling on the movement to please take particular note of the peculiarity of the oil and gas industry and not treat their divestment as any other divestment”.

Mr Godson Jim-Dorgu who served as a facilitator, in his submission maintained that the media being the watchdog of the society should be involved at all levels on issues concerning the society.

He said “On the issue of divestment, the complexities and ambiguities surrounding divestment as relates to the oil companies are enormous. How would community people understand it? It is also important to demystify the issues of divestment. How will divestment be done in Nigeria? Is it as it is being done in other places?

“And in the case of communities in the Niger Delta, we are looking at issues of oil pollution, air pollution, environmental degradation so if the company is divesting, what about the environmental legacies that the companies are leaving behind?

“I think that everything about divestment as it is going needs to be reported by the media to create that awareness for the communities.”

Nathan Nwakamma, a participant noted it was an irony that while the pressure for cleaner energy sources was going on at the global scene, the IOCs were merely moving from land to sea and not much is heard of any investment into renewables and other cleaner energy sources.

He further observed that the divestment exercise going on will throw up challenges to the expertise of the successor Indigenous oil firms to manage the onshore assets being left by the IOCs.

“The perception that journalists are not doing enough is untrue and lacks basis because the challenges that journalists face are hydra-headed specially CB rally in the energy space where secrecy is the order of the day, you need to be at your wits end to squeeze information out from unwilling sources and interpreted same to the audience.

“Media practitioners often have capacity gaps to fill to be able to understand the energy sector and often resort to self-development to understand the dynamics of the complex sector, but nobody sees the obstacles we face and it is unfair to cast aspersions and say that the media is not doing enough,” Nwakamma said.

Also, Alambo Datonye another participant in his contribution said: “We as journalists need to enlighten members of the public and communities on the implications of divestment and the best practices as it is being witnessed in other countries.

“We have a lot of responsibility as members of the fourth estate of the realm to drive the process of enlightening people on the divestment process.

“Whether we like it or not, the world is in an energy transition, moving away from fossil fuel to renewable energy and other cleaner sources of energy and that is why you are seeing these multinational oil companies divesting because of the pressure.

“So, we need to do a follow-up to remind them that they must clean up the environment and take care of all the liabilities before they divest”.