By Okonji Temple
It is no longer news that the Oil Producing Zones of Nigeria, the Niger Delta, remains one of the underdeveloped zones in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite the region’s revenue contributions to the nation’s wellbeing and corporate existence.
Unarguably, crude oil remains the mainstay of the Nigerian economy since the discovery of Oil in commercial quantities in Oloibiri, Ogbia Local Government, Bayelsa State. It is germane to state here that prior to the economic breakthrough at the Oloibiri Wells, the Shell BP, as the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was known before the Nationalization Policy, had first struck oil in the historic Iho Well in Iho, Ikeduru Local Government, Imo State in 1947, which oil well turned out poor, drying up before operational activities could be set up. The prospecting activities at Iho led to the first Shell Residential Areas in Nigeria in Owerri, Imo State, otherwise called “The Shell Camp,” which today hosts the extension campus of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri.
One feature of the Niger Delta arising from the extensive and exploitative activities by the oil companies is a devastated environment and truncated ways of lives of the people. These blighted the area for years until the historic revolution in Ogoniland anchored by MOSSOP whose leaders resisted the destruction of their land through unmitigated oil spill, leading to the Ogoni 9, including the renowned Writer/ Environmentalist, Mr Kenule Saro-Wiwa, paying the supreme price for the struggle. The death of these freedom fighters birthed the renewed struggle for survival today in the Niger Delta.
As a consequence of the Ogoni revolution global attention was drawn to the unconscionable degradation and underdevelopment in the Niger Delta region, leading to a landmark judgment in the United Kingdom, and thereafter a revisit to the famous UNEP Report on Ogoni, which recommended the “Cleaning Up and Regeneration of the Environment of the Ogoniland, Nigeria.” This sparked off another round of politics aimed at frustrating the report’s implementation, which suffered frustrations under successive administration in the country.
But after taking several positive actions towards the continuation of the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme and reforming the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in August 2015 President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate implementation of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland. The President’s actions on the Niger Delta, including the appointment of a thoroughbred technocrat in oil/gas management, a first class Law Graduate and an Executive of the ExxonMobil Oil Company, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, led to a recent interview granted the Africa Independent Television (AIT) by the Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah.
Opiah, who remained vocal against the perceived injustices of the Buhari Presidency in choice appointments against the old Eastern Region of Nigeria, poured encomiums on President Buhari for directing the immediate release of $2.1 billion for the implementation of the UNEP Report. The President also assured that he would set up a board to oversee the implementation, with Opiah charging the President to consider only credible Nigerians for the task of cleaning up Ogoniland.
Opiah described the Ogoniland debacle as the “microcosm of the macrocosm of destructive activities in the Niger Delta.” And charged President Buhari to launch a holistic regeneration of the Niger Delta environment, including gainful employment for the region’s youths in oil companies.
Also, Opiah harped on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which provides a holistic framework for oil and gas activities in the country, including the interests of the oil-producing communities. Hon. Opiah condemned what he described as “a calculated political design, principally promoted to frustrate gainful development in infrastructure, human resources in the Niger Delta communities as provided for in the PIB.”
Hon. Opiah paid glowing tributes to the 7th Assembly of the House of Representatives, led by the duo of Their Excellencies, the Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, for their pioneering roles in concluding all legislative activities on the PIB, which, however, continues to suffer delay in passage into an Act as a result of the non-concurrence of the Senate.
The federal lawmaker enjoined all members of the 8th National Assembly, those from the Niger Delta especially, to show positive commitment to the pending PIB, which he described as the “panacea” to the challenges and crisis in the oil and gas sector, including human and material development of the Niger Delta.
Also, Rt. Hon. Opiah commended the Leadership of the 8th House of Representatives, Nigeria under the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, in setting out a people-oriented Legislative Agenda in the House. He lauded the Honourable Members for their preparedness and commitment to legislative activities. These, according to Opiah, should be sustained and improved upon for the optimal realisation of the Legislative Agenda of the current Assembly.
Continuing, Opiah condemned the legislative indecorum of certain Congressmen from the United States (U.S.) who visited President Buhari without recourse to the leadership of the Nigerian National Assembly, which is a legislative equal of the U.S. Congress.
Also, Opiah noted with regrets the non-inclusion of members of the National Assembly in the entourage of President Buhari to the U.S. even as the Official Schedule included engagement and interface with the U.S. Congress. “This is a serious apogee of administrative and political carelessness on the part of handlers of President Buhari’s official visit to the United States,” Opiah submitted.
Opiah rued the absence of an up-to-date Act or Statute on the Nigerian oil and gas activities and management, reflective of global industry best practices, which lacuna provides leeway for unmitigated corruption in the NNPC and the oil industry generally.
But Hon. Opiah lauded the President for unbundling the NNPC and reducing its directorates from nine to four, adding that this policy direction could be bolstered through the PIB to sustain reforms at the NNPC.
He thanked Mr. President on the appointment of Brig-Gen P.T. Boroh (rtd) as the National Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, with the mandate to strengthen the initiative for the overall wellbeing and prosperity of the Niger Delta Region.
Opiah, who represents the good people of Ohaji/ Egbema / Oguta / Oru West Federal Constituency, Imo State in the House of Representatives, prayed for the success of the Buhari Presidency and the prosperity of Nigeria. He charged the President on equity in appointment and project implementation, saying the President should be guided by Federal Character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution in all appointments, promotions and engagements, adding on a lighter note, that the President’s declaration at his May 29 inauguration – “I belong to everybody, I belong to nobody” – “is his latest Manifesto to Nigerians.”
The Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah stressed that “this indeed is a prosperous new political beginning for Ohaji/ Egbema / Oguta / Oru West Federal Constituency, Nigeria and Nigerians.”
Barr. Okonji Temple is Senior Legislative Aide to Hon. Opiah at the House of Representatives
Leave a Reply