Group faults NNPC measure on oil fire incidence in Nigeria
The anti-poverty agency observed that similar approaches by some multi-national oil firms in the past had created and escalated conflicts in the Niger-Delta region of the country.
"In the light of the divisive and conflict situations these have caused in the past, and given the fact that in the past this had led to competing youth groups in communities using the contract money to buy arms, it is necessary to ask what steps is NNPC putting in place to ensure conflict sensitivity in this response?," Igbuzor asked.
The anti-poverty agency executive insisted that "the solution to the crisis must be a comprehensive and integrated one with all agencies and arms of government working together."
The ActionAid Nigeria country director has called for "a well thought out plan for the security of the various oil facilities in the country" and a comprehensive support for communities who have since become victims of the fire incidences resulting from fire explosion.
He noted that even in situations where residents of such communities have had to take advantage of the leakages and dug out wells by vandals, they had been merely entrapped by poverty."
Igbuzor also expressed concern over the misrepresentation of the many incidences of pipelines vandalisam, the character of the perpetrators of the crime and the victims of many attending fire incidences.
"The said vandals should be differentiated from ordinary community people who reported these incidents and then because of poverty took advantage of free oil.
"Reports said the vandalisation was the work of professional vandals who came with fake or real security details. They also fixed a hose and were seen to be loading fuel into jerrycans and unto tug-boats", ActionAid noted.
Igbuzor who emphasised the need to "resolve the Niger Delta crisis quickly, equitably and permanently", called for a broad based Niger Delta Peace, Security & Prosperity Movement in which the region’s leaders could "mobilise local youths and form a joint force with government to patrol creeks and villages to fish out criminal gangs"
The ActionAid Nigeria chief executive however reiterated the position that "the construction and rehabilitation of utilities and involvement of people in the management of the resources to ensure that funds allocated for developments were properly utilised is key to solving both the Niger Delta crises and poverty induced crimes".
Speaking on the same issue, ActionAid International Emergency and Conflict Advisor, Ayodeji Ajayeoba, observed that three scenarios have since emerged from the recent oil pipeline fire incident in Lagos State.
The first scenario according to Ajayeoba is that "the vandali sation of oil facilities are acts of professional vandals who attack the unprotected oil pipes and wells with professional tools".
Second scenario is that "residents of impoverished communities in which these oil facilities are located are often entrapped. Even when they may have reported the cases of vandalisation, they with time, due to poverty and lack of immediate response to the alerts by relevant authorities also try to address their state of impoverishment by taking a bit of the ‘free’ oil"
The third scenario, according to Ajayeoba is "Responses from authorities which doesn’t show analytical capabilities and do not give concrete response to issues that are emerging from the Niger Delta region and the many areas hosting oil installations in the country".
Both Igbuzor and Ajayeoba called on the Nigeria government to take advantage of the ongoing national debate on the Niger Delta to provide an over-arching response to the crises in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
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