In the just concluded Terra Futura (Future Land), an international exhibition held (May 20 – 22, 2011) in Florence, Italy within the scope of Renewable Energy, Environmental Protection, Human Rights and a Peaceful Coexistence, different talks and proposals were in abundance. In the middle of the huge exhibition was a chat with Laura Renzi, a campaign coordinator of amnesty international, Italy. The following are the questions and answers about the Niger Delta and the multinational oil companies, one argument that cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
Can you please explain why amnesty international is here in Terra Futura?
“Amnesty international is here for human right; we are here particularly to talk of the 50th anniversary of the organisation. We are here to celebrate our 50 years of fighting for human right. Also, we are here to promote our works on the responsibility of oil companies in the Niger Delta. Here in our stand, there are dozens of informative materials about our activities, including the postcard we have addressed to the President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan”.
There is no doubt that the Niger Delta is one of the most polluted land on the planet, and when people think of this polluted area, names like Shell oil company, Eni and the rest of them are no longer difficult to remember. So what is it that you people really want to change in the argument?
“Since 2009, amnesty international has been working on a global campaign, tagged: “Demand Dignity”. The goal of the campaign is to bring human dignity to the centre stage and break the chain of situations which are causing human poverty. In the Niger Delta, there are millions of people who are poor as a result of the abuse and exploitation of their ecological systems by some oil companies on their land.
Since 2009, amnesty international has been mobilising all its activists to ask the companies in the Niger Delta to produce the data of environmental impact and human right abuse as a result of their activities on the land. The companies are still not transparent. Shell, for example has still not produce any significant data of the toxic materials released on the environment, the water and the land, which are making life very difficult for the local people.
As for the Italian Eni, the amnesty international in Italy is currently in dialogue with the company. We are trying to push the company to take up responsibility for the pollution it has caused in the Niger Delta, so far. The campaign is continuing, not only in Italy but also at the international level.
By next year, hopefully, there will be an important promotion of the campaign, where various activists will be called upon to do something, to remind the oil companies operating in the Niger Delta that it is time to pay for the ecological damages they have done”.
As for the violent campaign, like that of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a group of local youths who felt abandoned by the Nigerian government and so took to a violent struggle to save their own land, what is the position of amnesty international?
“It’s clear that amnesty international cannot support MEND because MEND is considered aggressive. Amnesty international does not support violent attacks against people, so it does not support the modality of MEND”.
At the local level, what is amnesty international doing to compel or persuade the Nigerian government to hold the multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta responsible for the damages they have done, and to protect the local people and the ecological systems of the Niger Delta?
“Unfortunately, amnesty international cannot compel anybody. Amnesty international can remind the Nigerian government of the rights that have been abused. In regard to what can be done, in 2009, a research mission was conducted about the activities of the oil companies in the Niger Delta and its impact on the local people and their environment. What resulted from the research was a lot of important information which was useful in the preparation of international reports.
We in Italy are in constant contact with the office of amnesty international in London and with the local associations in Nigeria. So there is a clear support for the local associations in Nigeria, as far as this argument is concerned”.
According to an earlier report by amnesty international, June 2009: (NIGERIA: PETROLEUM, POLLUTION AND POVERTY IN THE NIGER DELTA), “The Niger Delta is one of the 10th most important wetland and coastal marine ecosystems in the world and is home to some 31 million people…?
So, if there is anything as the future land, the ecological injustice in a place such as the Niger Delta should not be ignored.
Ewanfoh Obehi Peter
Did you find this information helpful? If you did, consider donating.