Environment
Illegal Oil Bunkering: Between Lewe and Bomu
Illegal oil bunkering is doing much more harm than good to communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
Apart from the destruction of the environment, communities are now in the war path as a result of the huge sums of money accruing from the business.
Recently, the face-off between Bomu and Lewe communities in Gokana local government area has shown that if left unchecked, the illegal business will eventually destroy more communities in the region.
Although, the two communities had been having disagreements in the past, the current level of devastation as a result of this renewed hostilities has been described as very inhuman and unparrelled in the history of both communities.
Residents of the area are now counting their loses which run into millions of naira with 14 persons reported killed in the mayhem.
Sources within the communities informed The Tide that the present crisis was caused by a disagreement between two illegal oil bunkering gangs at their site.
According to the source, one Sunday Barinem Tupor, from Bomu allegedly led his gang members to the bunkering site of his friend, Barinem Opnwin Doopa of Lewe and carted away his products.
In Retaliation, on the 15th of November, 2016, Sunday Barinem Tupor was attacked by the gang loyal to Barinem Opnwin Doopa at Lewe and his car snatched as payback.
The Tide also learnt that the mather was later reported to the police at Kpor.
Corroborating the stories in separate interviews with The Tide, the paramount ruler of Bomu, HRH Mene Charles Tenalo, and his Lewe counterpart H.R.H Mene Sibe Lebaton, confirmed that the crisis was caused by illegal oil bunkering.
Mene Tenalo who is a second class traditional ruler in Rivers State however said that following the incident on the 15th of November 2016, a meeting of the council of chiefs of the two communities was convened on the 16th of November 2016 on how to find a solution to end the crisis.
The traditional ruler said progress was made following the meeting but on the first of December 2016, his attention was drawn to an incident which involved the discovery of the corpse of an indigene of Lewe at the outskirt of the community close to Boue in Khana local government arae.
He said he immediately instructed the paramount ruler of lewe to report the matter to the police, for investigation and arrest of the culprits.
King Tenalo also alleged that youths from Lewe community also went on rampage attacking and killing Bomu indigenes coming from Mogho neighbouring community.
He specifically said that two Bomu youths who were coming from Mogho on motorcycles were killed and buried by Lewe youths.
However in a paper titled; “Lewe community’s Explanation on the Current Bomu – Lewe crisis”, the Menebon of Lewe H.R.H Lebaton Sibe, said “ the whole episode started on the 15th of November, 2016 as a result of the misunderstanding or disagreement between two cult groups led by one Mr Barinaaoowin Doppa – Bira of lewe and Mr Barinem Sunday Tupoi from Bomu.
“Mr Barinem Sunday Tupoi is gangster, a dreaded cultist and a self acclaimed elder in the Iceland cult group who allegedly led a gang of robbers to attack Lewe youths at their oil bunkering site in our fishing port and carted a way all their properties after infliching on their body injuries in May 2016”.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has waded into the crisis.
The Special Adviser to the State Governor on conflict resolution, Chief Okorie Abelekum on his past condemned the crisis in the strongest terms and warned that government will not fold its arms and watch people take the laws into their hands.
Chief Abelekum told the people during an interactive session at Kpor, headquarters at Gokana local government area that if the youths in the area refuse to toe the path of peace, they will only have themselves to blame as government will take drastic action to checkmate any further act of criminality in both communities.
He said the era when illegal oil bunkerers and cultists hold communities to ransom are over adding that under the present administration, all forms of lawlessness will be nipped in the bud.
The special Adviser to the state Governor on Amnesty, Hon Ken Chinda, who was at the interactive session also called on cultists and illegal bunkerers in the area to surrender their arms without delay.
Hon Chinda said community elders and well meaning individuals in the area should come together and assist government in the strive towards a better society.
The Tide observed that given the large army of refugees created by the crisis and the scale of destructions, the people are ready for peace.
The two paramount rulers also confided in The Tide that they are really for peace.
The paramount ruler of Lewe, Lebaton Sibe said his people can no longer go to their farms or fishing and appealed to government to wade into the crisis with a view to ensuring a final and peaceful resolution to end the conflict.
In a letter addressed to the Rivers State Governor through the Special Adviser on conflict Resolution, Chief Sibe called for the establishment of a security post between the two communities to forestall further attacks by his Bomu neighbours.
He also appealed for relief materials for his people.
On his part, the Menebon of Bomu, H.R.H King Charles Tenalo, urged the government to take note of the following which will help in establishing an enduring peace between Bomu and Lewe.
“That Lewe people should report all criminal offenses to the police for investigation and legal actions instead of taking rash and primitive decisions.
“That they should stop all forms of aggression against law abiding citizens of Bomu.
“That the Lewe people should stay away from our land.
Illegal oil bunkering is indeed a problem to the Niger Delta. The entire water source of the region is now polluted.
Today, it is Bomu and Lewe, tomorrow it could be another community. The effects of illegal oil bunkering is spreading like a bush fire across the region and that is why government must find solution to the problem.
Some residents of Port Harcourt and its environs have reacted to the impending flooding in parts of the country, including Rivers state.
It would be recalled that the federal government last week predicted flooding in some states in the country, including Rivers State.
A cross session of residents who spoke to The Tide on the issue said time has come for residents to be careful about the way they managed their waste, especially at this time of the year.
According to them, people must avoid blocking water channels as well as indiscriminate dumping of waste into water channels.
Speaking with The Tide, an Environmentalist, Elder Blessing Jackson Tiko, called for caution by residents of Port Harcourt and its environs
Tiko who was a former deputy operational officer Phalga Environmental Sanitation Taskforce, said people must be conscious of the way and manner that they manage their waste.
“We know that we have the rain and if you watch it is coming especially this month of July,it would rain and rain and rain
“We have to be very conscious of how we manage our environmental system, the way we throw our waste and how we evacuate it so that every where will be open for water to move freely
“Water doesn’t want blockage, water wants free flow, ’he said
Tiko urged state governments to liaise with the federal government and development agencies to dredge and open up river channels to enable Water move freely.
He particularly called on the Niger Delta Basine Development Authority and the Niger Delta Development Commission to liaise with state governments in the quest to end flooding in the states.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alice. A. Alabo a trader at Mile 3 Port Harcourt, urged the state government to do something on the constant flooding at the Abuja bypass in Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt,
She said the bypass is always flooded at every little rainfalls stressing that something must be done about it.
Alabo also told The Tide Correspondents that the Abuja bypass has no receptacles and called on the management of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to provide receptacles for the people, to ensure proper waste disposal in the area.
“The government should provide us with receptacles for us to properly place our waste which is causing the flooding in the area.
A shop owner Dickey, Livia Marko lemanted the incessant flooding along the Abuja bypass, adding that the situation is affecting their businesses.
“We have been begging the Rivers State Government and the local government to come to our aid.
“The Ego Line Progressive Union contributes N10,000 every year to make sure that we evacuate the drainage.
“We called the Hausa boys to come and clean from the beginning to the end of the tunnel which leads to the Interwoba
“So immediately after each rainfall within 10 minutes it will dry otherwise we cannot stay in our shop.
“I am begging the government to come to our rescue, even if they want to open the gutter or canal. It will help in preventing the flooding or they should clean the gutters starting from Ikwerre Road to the Interwoba axis”, he said
On his part,Mr. Ajaka Olawa, lamented that the flooding in Timber area by Abuja bypass area is so terrible that no businesses can easily be carried on in the area.
He blamed it on the continuous blockage of drainages
. “I can’t remember the last time the government came to clean the drainage, so when it rains we find it difficult to stay here.
“Some of our shops are wet because of the flooding. And if the rain falls heavily, we pack our goods. If not. they get damaged, and I am expecting this message to reach the government for them to do something about it”
“The people, the government gives the job are not being followed up, that’s why the road is still looking bad,
“The government is trying, but they should put more effort to make sure that the jobs are being carried out.
Also, Mr. Chukuma said, during the flooding along Abuja bypass by Timber, no activities take place.
He said that if rain falls, either little or heavy, none can use the road because the road will be inundated by water. Sometimes it takes two to three days for the water to dry.
According to him, eight years ago, the former governor was here to see things for himself, but nothing happened till he left office.
By: Victoria Gilbert / Ossia Victory
Following the rising impact of toxic waste in the Niger Delta communities in Nigeria, an Ecological Think Tank, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has urged oil-producing communities in the region to monitor their environment and report incidents of pollution or other environmental hazards in real time to appropriate authorities.
The Project Manager, Communities and Culture, HOMEF, Cadmus Atake gave the advice last Friday during a Community Environmental Monitoring Training for the people of Nembe, Town-Brass in Bayelsa and Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom States respectively which was held in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Atake said though the extractive activities of oil companies have impacted negatively on the communities, the people still have a role to play in protecting the environment by not throwing plastics in the water bodies or engaging in activities inimical to the environment.
He said, “The purpose is to train the people on how they can monitor their environment that has been impacted by extractive activities, for them to observe the changes that occur in their environment and things they see when they go out to fish.”
Atake also harped on the need for documentation and reporting of the identified environmental challenges or pollution, saying that monitoring without reporting would be an effort in futility even as he tasked them with the accuracy, authenticity and originality of data without any mutilation.
He encouraged people to use mobile phones to take real-time photos and videos without editing the images in the case of pollution or oil spills.
His words, “Reporting is an essential aspect of any monitoring activity. It affords the opportunities to track the activity and its impacts. It makes an activity visible and draws attention to it. Also, it helps to identify associated risks and to know the required controls and learning outcomes needed to prevent the reoccurrence of failures of an activity. No monitoring exercise is complete without a report of observations and a point of action.
“You must identify what caused the pollution, state the name of the community and landmark and if possible, use GPS, time and date the pollution was observed.”
One of the participants, OmusuoDieworio from Bayelsa State noted that apart from the activities of the multinationals, the people have contributed to the disappearance of fishes in the rivers by dumping refuse and plastic wastes inside the river which posed a great threat to fishes even as he urged community leaders to promulgate laws prohibiting that and the youth leaders to ensure the enforcement.
“Our people should be sensitized on the hazards of toxic waste. We should put laws that are binding on us. Our fishermen should discipline themselves enough after drinking sachet water eating should not drop the waterproof inside the water. They should also be discouraged from using dynamite and other chemicals for fishing as all these are harmful to both the aquatic animals and human beings that will consume it.” He said.
Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, UmoIsua-Ikoh of the Peace Pact Development Foundation, said the provision in the PIA where the community should forfeit its 3% development fund in case of pipeline vandalism criminalizes the community and should be expunged noting that no community will agree to vandalize pipeline but an individual or a criminal.
He said they should go after anyone who vandalises pipelines and not make the entire community bear the brunt of one person.
On his part, Stephen Oduware, the Program Manager at Fossil Politics, called on the communities to network with CSOs, CBOs, doctors, lawyers, media especially those from their communities and other community members who have the community at heart to advocate at all fronts.
“The community people should partner with CSOs, CBOs so that they will be able to advocate from all fronts from the health implication of this pollution from the legal and human right violations as a result of this pollution, land grabbing and then they will be able to get well-researched works from the academics, we believe that with this network they will be able to push for the justice they needed.” He said.
The Delta State Govern-
ment says it is working hard to tackle the issue of climate change in the state.
Special Adviser to the state Governor on Sustainable Development Goals) (SDGs, Lady Diana Eyo _Enoette, said this in an interview with newsmen during the launching of Green City Project in Port Harcourt.
She said the government was doing this by raising awareness on the impact of climate change in the State and also control the indiscriminate dumping of waste across the State.
Eye-Emoette said government has also setup scouts across the State to embark on tree planting campaign in all nooks and crannies of Delta State.
She said time has come for governments across the Niger Delta region to create more awareness on climate change, adding that continuous human activities in the region have made it vulnerable to climate change
Diana described her government as a leading voice on climate change as far as the Niger Delta region is concerned and stressed the need for other governments in the region to follow suit.
She said Green City’s initiatives have become a potent weapon in fighting climate change, stressing that the initiative is coming at the appropriate time.
The special advise said governments across the country should key into the green city’s projects inorder to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a university teacher, Professor Magnus Onuoha, has called for conscious efforts by governments across Africa to check carbon emissions.
The university teacher also described the green city’s initiatives as a safe avenue for emerging cities in Africa.
Prof Onuoha, who spoke via videophone described the project as innovative, adding that climate change is real and no longer fallacies.
According to him “it is glaringly telling on our faces and the possibility of it going away is not there”.
He said.
By: John Bibor