The Federal Government has been urged to put in place a legal framework to ensure that oil and gas companies and other key players recognise the right of the people in the Niger Delta to a clean and healthy environment.
The government was advised to ensure the actualisation of such framework first in the Niger Delta, and later in the country as a whole.
The suggestion was part of the recommendations made by a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr Bunmi Afinowi during the public presentation of Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) report
titled “We Are All Vulnerable. How Lack Of Transparency and Accountability Is Fueling Human Rights Violations in the Niger Delta.
The event held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja.
Afinowi stated that this has become necessary in order to ensure that when violations occur against the rights of the people of the area, individuals, communities, Chief Security Officers (CSOs) are able to seek rédress in the courts, both local and at international courts.
She said there is no reason why the Niger Delta region which produces the resources upon which the country is dependent should wallow in poverty while the rights of the people in the area are violated by oil and gas companies.
She lamented that the state of the region is s constantly a paradox of circumstances, noting that despite the wealth it holds and the fact that it provides for the entire Nation, it remains deeply in the grips of squalor, poverty, and environmental degradation.
The report recommended periodic engagements with legal and environmental experts, policy makers to review and strengthen existing laws, regulations and policies related to the oil and gas sector in terms of resource management and extractive activities.
It urged the Federal Government to also create a platform or avenue for sharing information related to oil and gas activities, revenue distribution, and environmental impact assessments with local communities.
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has endorsed the report of the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) which called for a review of the Niger Delta Development plan to determine its successes, failures and areas for improvement among other recommendations.
Governor Oborevwori said the report should be adopted by the Niger Delta state governments, the Federal Government and all development partners.
Oborevwori spoke in Lagos on Wednesday in a message at an interactive session and press briefing by SERAP on promoting transparency and accountability in the use of public funds in Nigeria with focus on the Niger Delta.
Represented by his Senior Policy Adviser, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, the governor noted that the research revealed the extensive social, economic, and environmental degeneration which to a large extent affected the lifestyle and well-being of the people of Niger Delta.
He called for the establishment of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), guidelines that are binding on oil and gas companies; enforcement of civil and criminal liability for any party that fails to fulfill its obligations or that is found complicit in corrupt practices in relation to community development projects.
According to the report, the federal and state governments in the Niger Delta lack an effective governance and feedback framework to promote integration between regulators, companies and communities.
As a result, there is deficiency in information about oil and gas companies, their activities, environmental audits and other relevant information while the mode of public participation is neither distinct nor focused on a defined structure.
Oborevwori said his administration is very conscious of the need to ensure prudence in the management of the State’s resources, bearing in mind the paucity of such resources and their inability to meet Delta’s ever growing needs.
The Governor said: “While we acknowledge the limited resources, we are also conscious of the need to ensure that what is available is efficiently deployed and used in a transparent and accountable way for the benefit of our people”.
“As a government, we shall continue to play a fundamental role in the development and rehabilitation of the host communities in oil producing areas as the state has a statutory institutional instrument – the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
“Governance in the Niger Delta should adopt the Principal-Agent format, whereby the citizens are the Principal and the Government is the Agent.
“Consequently, Government as an Agent to the citizens owes them (citizens) a duty of accountability of resources placed in its care. It is in recognition of this fact, that Delta State participated actively in the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme for results (SFTAS) organized by the World Bank.”
Oborevwori said the effect of Delta’s participation in SFTAS and enlistment on “Open Governance Partnership” (OGP) is the recognition of Delta State with four awards, of which Fiscal Transparency and Accountability, as well as Efficiency of Public Expenditures were the main attractions.
“This is a testimony that we are conscious of spending public money in a more credible and efficient way. It is our intention to sustain the gains of the programme to help us build trust in government, enhance the monitoring of fiscal risks and facilitate accountability in public resource management.
“Our administration believes that stronger accountability reduces the opportunities for corruption and misuse of public resources, thereby increasing the efficiency in public expenditures. This will ultimately ensure that there is trust between the citizens and the government.
“There is need to also develop and distribute educational materials to raise awareness about the industry's effects on communities and the importance of transparency,” Afinowi said”
The Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reform. Dr Dasuki Arabi in goodwill message, noted that the strategic importance of the Niger Delta cannot be over emphasized.
He said this account for reasons why various administrations have taken bold steps to ensure the development of the area.
He said one of the bold steps to address the issues in the region was the establishment of the Niger Delta Commission to drive sustainable development in the area.
Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, who represented the Rivers State Governor, Sinminalayi Fubara, said that it is important that the area that brings the resources upon which the country is dependent is protected and made safe.
He said that the terrain in the region is different and difficult to what obtained in other areas noting that the amount spent constructing a road in Abuja for instance is far below what is spent in the area.
He commended SERAP for the publication which he said exposed how corruption has undermined development in the Niger Delta.
President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) , Eze Anaba. in a good will message, said that there was need to ensure that resources from the Niger Delta region are used to develop the area.
He stressed the need for transparency and accountability in government at all levels saying this should be used to promote good governance, civic participation and respect for the rule of law.
Anaba said the media has a laudable role to play to achieve this objective.
"Section 22 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, stated the roles that members of the profession are expected to play in contributing to the efforts in promoting transparency and accoubtability in Niger Delta in particular."
In a welcome address, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Okuwadare remarked that the country is definitely poor with some 122 million Nigerians living in poverty.
Corruption has been the major contributory factor in making Nigeria one of the poorest Nation in the world.
He said trillions from oil resources impoverised Nigerians as they end in private pockets.
The assumption of office of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has raised the question whether his administration can demonstrate the political will to fight corruption by going after the big fish in government circles, ministries, departments and agencies. guarantee freedom of expression, and uphold the rule of law.
He said it is also about whether his administration can commit this democracy to the poor people of Nigeria and not for the few privileged political class.
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