UK agency partners Nigeria to end oil spill in Bayelsa

The two bodies held a forum in Yenagoa, the state capital, at the weekend tagged, ‘Multi Stakeholders Platform’ to proffer sustainable solution to oil spill-related conflicts in the state.
Speaking at the forum, Economic and Natural Resources Manager, NSRP, Olumide Olaniyan, said NSRP was a six-year programme aimed at supporting efforts to manage conflicts non-violently in Nigeria and reduce the effect of violence on Nigerians.
He said the programme supported peace initiative at the national level in eight target states across four zones worst affected by violence.
He mentioned the zones to be the Middle Belt, Niger Delta, North East and North West, adding that NSRP focal point in the Niger Delta was to manage and prevent oil spill-related violence through MSP.
Olaniyan said oil exploration and extraction have had multiple devastating impacts on livelihoods and environments of the Niger Delta region.
He said the UK-DFID-funded programme would provide supervisory agencies with timely information on oil spills in target communities.
He also noted that the platform would provide oil companies with timely information on oil spills in target LGAs as well as participate in joint investigation visits and environmental impact assessments.
Other measures, he said, were sensitisation of communities on oil spill management processes, conduct advocacy to state and local governments, oil companies and related bodies.
In his address, NSRP consultant Mr. Austin Onuoha, identified youths’ sabotage due to unemployment, mechanical errors on the side of multinational companies and governments’ lack of political will as some of the major reasons for oil spill and its concomitant consequences.
The consultant also urged affected communities to be united and speak in one voice while dealing with issues of oil spillages.
Participants at the meeting, drawn from ministries of environment, information, community leaders, youths, civil society organisations and the media identified “divide and rule system” by the oil companies as a major cause of oil spills violence among oil bearing communities.
They urged the multinational oil companies to respect Memoranda of Understanding reached with their host communities and deal with only recognised and accepted community leaders.