The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has faulted oil companies over environmental degradation.
The commission’s executive secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe, spoke while inaugurating a special investigative panel on oil spills and environmental pollution in Abuja on Monday.
The committee was set up, he said, following a myriad of petitions to the commission on oil spills and environmental pollution.
“Several communities from the South-South geo-political zone have inundated the commission with complaints on oil spills and environmental degradation by oil companies operating in their communities.
“The complainants alleged that most of these oil spills were either improperly cleaned or no effort was made to clean them at all resulting in damage to both aquatic life and farmlands,” Angwe said.
He said the commission had carried out on the spot assessment of the allegations.
He said it was after the assessment that the commission deemed it necessary to set up the panel to conduct a public hearing on the matter with a view to finding lasting solutions.
The Chairman of the panel, Mrs Oti Ovrawah, said:
“There is no doubt that oil spills have environmental consequences and oils spills also have human rights implication and that is why the commission is involved.”
Ovrawah pledged that the committee would make appropriate recommendations within the shortest possible time.
President General, Akwa Ibom Oil Producing Community Development Network (AKIPCON), Mr Ufot Phenson, told newsmen that the situation in the communities was a threat to the lives of the people, warning that if the situation was not addressed properly, the agitations currently being experienced, would get out of control.
“We have written to the oil companies in regard to the hardship they are putting us through.
“I am talking about Mobil in particular. Shell also has an oil well that exploded in 2006 and spilled into farmlands but there has been no clean up and no compensation to the people.
He alleged that there was a strong conspiracy between the government and the oil companies since they had complained earlier but nothing was done.
“We wrote to National Oil Spill Detection Agency (NOSDRA), we wrote to the presidency and past and present governors of Akwa Ibom.
“We also wrote to Ministry of Environment in the state all to no avail.
“So, coming to the commission is our last resort, and we hope the panel will investigate the atrocities and help bring succuor to us because it is a crime against humanity and must be stopped in the interest of our existence.”
Some of the terms of reference of the panel, include to consider all complaints on oil spillage and similar activities of oil pollution of the environment.
The others include to invite memoranda from members of the public on any action, inaction, omission or negligence leading to oil spillage, non-payment or wrongful payment of compensation.
