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Ogoniland, Shell and Rev. Fr. Kukah By Maxwell James
Ogoni people, like other Niger Delta inhabitants depend on the rural livelihoods of agriculture and fishing. This ethnic group holds their lands and rivers in which they live with high esteem as obvious in a long standing traditional belief that they revere. This is encapsulated in a popular traditional statement in Ogoni tongue – Doonu Kuneke meaning – ‘honouring the land’. It is a long standing truism that land to this sociable people is food, land to them is treasure and land to them is even reserved for some spiritual tasks. From the foregoing, one can put forward that any attempt to desecrate the land means total defilement of the people and their tradition.
Like Oloibiri in the present day Ogbia local government of Bayelsa state, since the discovery of oil in huge commercial quantity in Bomu – Ogoni in the late fifties, Ogoni land has been a study in social dissonance with oil companies and successive Nigerian governments plundering these traditional reserves so to speak with avaricious relish – living the lands, rivers, creeks, lagoons and the entire terra firma polluted. It is no longer news that since the advent of oil in Ogoni land; well over 125 million barrels of oil have been shipped with approximately 100,000 barrels a day – what did the people have to show in return; absolute poverty and misery.
It is understandable however, that harnessing the monumental natural resources embedded in the area could facilitate speedy development to these rich but deprived Ogoni communities like – Bere, Teemana, Agbani – Lueku, Gbe, Giokoo, Kira – Tai, Kporgor etc. We must no doubt be wary in the approach we adopt in carrying out such task. For instance report recently showed that there has been a spirited attempt by the federal government in conjunction with an international agency to bring back Shell to resume oil exploration activities in Ogoni land following a long dispute that culminated in the evacuation of the multi – national oil giant from Ogoni land.
Shell is the largest western oil company in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer through its 30 per cent stake in the government run venture known as the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). In the past 20 months, SPDC has lost a sizeable revenue from attacks by militants on oil installations and hostage taking in the Niger Delta to the extent that rumours were rife that the oil giant was considering implementing a number of cost cuts to its operation in the country which included several hundreds of job cuts ostensibly to cushion the negative effect of belligerent activities in the Niger Delta with negative consequence of revenue decline. It is usual to look inward to explore more business opportunities since profit is crucial to the survival of any business. Perhaps that was why the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni land became vital – with Reverend Father Mathew Hassan Kukah as the negotiations’ chief facilitator. The choice of Rev. Fr. Kukah reports say was because of his antecedents as an unbiased mediator in all the assignments he had carried out in the past coupled with his clergy background.
Rev.Fr. Kukah is a progressive voice in Nigeria judging from his activities as the past Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat, an ace columnist in the Guardian newspaper, a great public speaker. One remembers vividly how he tongue lashed northern senators in Minna the Niger state capital in the last dispensation on their quest for a Nigerian president of northern extraction with particular emphasis on the erroneous and general belief that a northern president must be a Muslim. Also Nigerians still remember his roles as secretary of the defunct Human Right Violation Commission popularly known as The Oputa Panel and also as co – secretary of the former president Obasanjo Political Reform Conference. All these outings were adjudged excellent.
However, the latest of Rev. Fr. Kukah’s assignment is a bit worrisome in view of the manner in which the entire reconciliation process is heading. Adequate confidence building has not been achieved yet. While Shell may not be told the truth as it is, the entire Ogoni communities have been presented with the reconciliation attempt as surreptitious and speedy endeavours to facilitate another regime of pillage of their lands and waters. This was obvious as report had it that despite this (mis)conception, and alleged violation of the terms of discussion by taking not too noble steps of entering into Ogoni territory to resume operation, Rev. Fr. Kukah was still deluding the Shell authorities that all was well until he practically escaped being lynched by aggrieved Ogonis.
From experience, oil exploration in Nigeria is synonymous with gratuitous exploitation. In many instances the oil companies box themselves into a corner by dealing with the wrong community leaders as in the case of the Ogoni land. The so called leaders lack common respect among their fellow community men. In such scenarios, the companies fall victim of such powerful but unpopular cabals’ antics thereby confirming the belief in several quarters that all they want is extracting the people dry with any willing community collaborator without corresponding gesture. This was exactly what the Rev. Fr Kuka led reconciliation team failed to understand. While Fr. Kukah may argue that the ‘intransigent’ of the Ledum Mitee led Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) made him and his team to root and work with a parallel ‘community leaders’ especially the Gininwa and Marvin option, Shell and the reconciliation team should know that no matter the price they have to pay, building the confidence of Mitee and his team is necessary. Anything short of that will definitely be counterproductive in view of the enormous confidence MOSOP has built amongst the local populace.
While the bulk of the blame in terms of underdevelopment of the region and Ogoni land should be heaped on government because these companies remit their taxes and other obligations, they can still do more to develop the confidence of their host communities. Even as sabotage may possibly be the bane of the region in terms of benefiting from oil companies’ gesture, I strongly feel with the right approach the oil companies can engender peaceful atmosphere for smooth business transaction in the region not necessarily starting from Ogoni land. Something remarkable can be started at Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa state and other operational areas of the oil companies (Nun – River flow station, Peremabiri, Onyoma, Diebu, Ogboinbiri, Kolama etc) where the people’s condition is still subhuman. Some pointers will illustrate how this confidence building can be achieved especially as regards human development. I intend to adopt some strategies canvassed by Tony Marinho in his article entitled ‘Put Media and Youth in the Budget’ published in The Nation Newspaper of June 20, 2007.
Oil companies can revisit their operational measures in the Niger Delta. The present ‘open approach’ has given room for unbridled corrupt practices by politicians and ignoble community leaders. This is because most companies operate general community budgetary programmes that lack specific target. Compensations by way of royalties may be good but it has proven to be less effective on its own. Rather these companies’ budget for social responsibility should be anchored on community development efforts that will take care of specific youth (human) empowerment needs. In collaboration with the Niger Delta state governments, a – state – of – the – art Youth Inspirational/Recreational Centers should be established in all the mayor oil bearing communities where the youth can be exposed and trained in various entrepreneurial skills as well as basic socialized and modernized behavioural patterns like reading for pleasure and knowledge as Marihno suggested. Computer skills, volunteerism, public speaking, drama/cultural activities, career choices, role models and playing intellectual games such as scrabbles and chase should be promoted in such centers that will be open to all community dwellers. Such recreational centers should also serve as a platform for drugs public education awareness campaign that has eaten deep into the fabric of the region.
Also the centers should serve as the hub for information distribution in all the nooks and crannies of the region particularly information concerning all the ills that have bedeviled the region of late should be the focus (hostage taking, pipeline vandalisation, smoking and drug abuse). Periodic lectures on social, educational, developmental, family and cultural values will serve as a great impetus for mindset change in the region as the greatest problem of the region today is the increasing worthlessness of the youth because of poor foundation and upbringing. A Community Enlightenment Department should be created (if there is none) to maximize this opportunity by producing Posters mostly in Pidgin English to be distributed in clinics, markets, boat jetties, village squares, eating/drinking joints and motor parks. For instance if Shell and other oil companies can start something in this direction, in the nearest future, Niger Delta will have an entirely new thinking and 21st century youth that will not loathe development not even with the influence of their leaders. With this as an example Shell may not need a Rev. Fr. Kukah transact business in the region.
Maxwell James Port Harcourt, Rivers State |