The Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) in collaboration with the British Council has set up a multi-stakeholder platform in the Niger Delta.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the inauguration, the Economic and Natural Resources Manager of NSRP, Mr. Olumide Olaniyan said the objective of the formation of the body is to support communities in the Niger Delta to resolve issues of oil spills in a non-violent way.
Mr. Olaniyan stated that in the past, communities and oil companies engage in legal tussle in court which can span up to 10 years, regretting that most communities did not have the resources to follow the case systematically for a longer year thereby loosing out of the matter.
The Economic and Natural Resources Manager maintained that with the formation of the body, oil spills can be better resolved in no distant time.
He is very optimistic that with the quality of the members which are drawn from regulatory agencies on oil spills matter with civil society and the communities there will be a better understanding on the issue of oil spills.
On the issue of funding the work of the group, Mr. Olaniyan said the commitment of members are priceless because members are capable of raising fund however, NSRP will give technical support for the success of the body.
Answering questions on the challenges, he maintained that every challenge is surmountable while tasking them to perform the functions creditably.
According to the organizers of the programme, the purpose of multi-stakeholder platform include: provide supervising agencies with timely information on oil spills in communities in target LGAs provide oil companies with timely information on oil spills in communities in target LGAs, participate in Joint Investigation Visits (JIVs) and Environment Impact Assessments (EIAs) sensitize the communities in target area on oil spills management processes and to conduct advocacy to state, LGAs and oil companies for effective and access more resources among others.
Earlier, the facilitator, Mr. Austin Onuoha of Africa Centre For Corporate Responsibility said the formation of the body will help to solve the problems with oil spills.
Mr. Onuoha stated that there are existing laws regulating oil spills but they have not help in responding to the problem. “The multi-stakeholder platform should be able to address the problem” he stated.
The conflict resolution expert said the world is moving to the non-judicial mechanism in resolving disputes and Nigeria should be part of it.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, it was stated that government agencies saddle with the responsibility of detecting oil spills should be properly equipped to play a leading role in oil spills management.
They also condemned illegal oil bunkering and as it effects on the people. Problem of oil spills must be tackled in a satisfactory manner by agencies of government. The group also frowns at low response to oil spills sites, and low budget allocation to NOSDRA.
Members of the group are drawn from National Human Right Commission, CSO, Ministry of Information, some communities of oil spills sites, ALGON, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency amongst others. ###
Pius Dukor
