The Niger Delta Congress (NDC) has demanded a whopping $75 billion as compensation from the federal Government over what it called ‘devastating consequences of oil production’ in the region.
In a press release issued, on Monday, the NDC, also reiterated its earlier warning to prospective bidders for new oil fields in the region to desist, while also urging the Niger Delta people to organise themselves to resist any such incursion on their lands until the demands of the people are met.
The statement read in part, “The Niger Delta Congress acknowledges the report on Shell’s oil pollution in the Niger Delta, which was released by Friends of the Earth Europe, Environmental Rights Action, Milieudefensie and Amnesty International, on Thursday, June 18, 2020.
“The report notes that with less than 10% of the project funds released and just 11% of impacted sites covered so far, the Federal Government’s implementation of the 2011 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report has been a failure.
“At the current pace, the first phase of the cleanup meant to last 5 years is now on track to take 40 years.
“This extends the 30-year period estimated by UNEP, for the Ogoni environment to return to its natural state, to 70 years.
“The report also emphasises the shoddy work being done, with 11 out of the 16companies contracted for the purpose not having any experience in environmental remediation.
“The NDC is aware that the Ogoni Cleanup is a ruse to sneak back into Ogoni for the resumption of oil exploration, as the Ogoni field is among the 57 oil fields being auctioned by the government.
“This is also why four years after the launch, the people still continue to die from consuming polluted drinking water.
“The Nigerian state is simply gambling with the lives of the Niger Delta people.
“Meanwhile, according to oil production data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in its October 2017 report, 32 billion barrels of oil valued at N118 trillion has been mined from the Niger Delta between1961 and 2014.
“From this figure, the NDC calculates that the Niger Delta has earned a meagre N16 trillion as ‘derivation’.
“The NDC estimates from the NBS figures that the Nigerian government is indebted to the Niger Delta people withheld revenue in excess of N70 trillion.
“On the other hand, as a result of the devastating consequences of oil production, the NDC is seeking a $75 billion compensation for the Niger Delta people.
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“The NDC, therefore, calls for the immediate commencement of an environmental assessment of the entire Niger Delta region, and a subsequent comprehensive cleanup of the region which will be funded by all oil exploration companies in the region in collaboration with the Nigerian government.
“This exercise will be supervised by representatives and nominees of the Niger Delta people.
The NDC also reiterates its June 15 call for prospective bidders for new oil fields in the region to desist, while also urging the Niger Delta people to organise themselves to resist any such incursion on their lands until the demands of the people are met.
“The Niger Delta Congress also uses this opportunity to call for the immediate convening of a Niger Delta Peoples Conference — a sovereign national conference of the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta region — to enable the people of the region decide their economic and political future.”
