Oil companies fuelling insecurity in Niger Delta – Gov Dickson

The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has launched a
global campaign to address the ravaging effects of oil spills in
parts of the state.

The campaign is tagged’ Rise for Bayelsa Campaign.’

Mr Dickson also accused oil companies of fuelling insecurity in
the region.

He said the campaign is to attract global attention to the
menace of oil spills, pollution and environmental degradation in
the state.

At the event held at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in
Yenagoa, the governor censured international oil companies (IOCs)
operating in the state.

He accused them of constituting the biggest threat to the
security and stability of the state and the Niger Delta region
under the guise of awarding crude oil pipeline surveillance
contracts.

Mr Dickson’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Daniel Alabrah,
quoted the governor as accusing the oil multinationals of funding
terrorism, criminality and breakdown of law and order in the
state.

His words: “They are not only polluting our land, creeks,
waterways and communities, they are also taking their terrorist and
criminal activities to yet another frightening level.

“All these cases of killings during elections, people
terrorising Southern Ijaw, killing people and even affecting our
democratic practices funded by Agip in the likeness of crude oil
pipeline surveillance contractors and forming a parallel government
in this state compromise all the layers of security in our
country.

“They have been killing, maiming and terrorising people in Nembe
Bassambiri. A certain Kodjo is working as an Agip contractor funded
by the company. In Southern Ijaw, there is a certain David Lyon and
his people whose activities are being funded by Agip.

“Agip is not interested in the stability and safety of our
communities. This is how far they have escalated their terrorist
activities. So when we talk of environmental terrorism perpetrated,
funded and encouraged by IOCs, you come to Bayelsa and you see a
classic case.”

“The launch of the Rise for Bayelsa Campaign would herald the
beginning of a long crusade by my government as a fulfilment of the
commitment made during the last World Environmental Day to shift
attention from education and infrastructure deficit to the scourge
of environmental terrorism.”

Mr Dickson said the short documentary aired during the launch
was a true reflection of the hardship the people of Bayelsa and the
entire Niger Delta have been experiencing for over 60 years at the
hands of a federal government that does not care about the
wellbeing, welfare and survival of the people of the region beyond
the oil.

He chastised the federal government for its failure to enforce
environmental and safety standards as well as regulations on the
oil companies operating in the region.

He called on all, especially the ICT-compliant youth of the
state, to use the internet to portray the Bayelsa story so as to
inform the Nigerian authorities and the world at large toward
eliciting support and understanding.

“This has gone from that to terrorism against our poor,
oppressed people who are left alone at the mercy of organised
cartels and international oil companies. If you look at their
(IOCs) practices and activities in this country, in this state and
in the Niger Delta, they are carrying on as criminal gangs with
their collaborators. Some local, some foreign,” he said while
urging Bayelsans at home and in the Diaspora to support the
campaign.

In a welcome address, the Commissioner for the Environment,
Ebipatei Apaingolo, said the activities of IOCs have had colossal
negative effects on the environment and the common wealth of the
people of Bayelsa, who are mainly farmers and fishermen.

Mr Apaingolo said there have been incessant oil spills and gas
flaring without any form of environmental remediation or payment of
adequate compensation to affected communities. He said despite the
outcome of the Kyoto Protocol In 1997, it is unfortunate that oil
companies still flare gas in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta
region.

“Studies have shown that about 13 million barrels of crude oil
have been spilled in the Niger Delta since the 1950s. For example,
the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment recorded over 3000 spills
from Agip facilities between 2012 and 2018.

According to him, oil spills have contaminated rivers and
streams, the air, plants while farm produce in the Niger Delta are
no longer consumable as elements of carcinogenic hydrocarbon are
found in tuber crops.

He said the UN Environmental Programme noted that continued
exposure to contaminated water, air and soil have put life
expectancy rate in the Niger Delta at approximately 10 per cent
below the national figure.

He added that in response to the environmental injustice, the
‘Rise for Bayelsa Campaign’ was launched to attract international
attention to the malicious and damaging operations of oil companies
in the state.

Mr Apaingolo said the fundamental demands of the campaign
include the oil multinationals cleaning up the environment
contaminated by oil spills, payment of adequate compensation to all
affected communities, investing in the host communities, and
providing a lasting solution to the perennial problems of oil
spills.

Onnoghen: FG Closes Case on Asset
Declaration
…. Suspended CJN Has 5 Houses, Not 55 Properties

Federal Government has closed its case of non asset declaration
charges against suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice
Walter Onnoghen, after calling 3 out of the 6 witnesses listed for
the trial.

Onnoghen is being prosecuted by the Federal government on a six
count charge bordering on alleged failure to disclose some of his
assets in his Asset Declaration forms submitted to the Code of
Conduct Bureau (CCB).

However prosecution counsel, Aliyu Umar SAN, announced that the
prosecution is closing its case shortly after the defendant
finished cross examination of the third prosecution witness, Ifeoma
Okagbue, an official of Standard Chartered Bank.

The prosecution in its application for the trial had said it
would be calling 6 witnesses to prove its case against Onnoghen.
However, at the end of cross examination, the lead prosecution
counsel said though they initially listed 6 witnesses for the
trial, however, it would not be calling on the remaining three,
adding that he is offering them to the defense for cross
examination if they so wished.

But, counsel to the defendant, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, said the
defense does not need the witnesses, adding that the prosecution
can go ahead to close its case if it is done.

Shortly after the prosecution announced the closure of its case,
Awomolo informed the tribunal of its intention to invoke section
303 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He
pleaded with the tribunal to allow him prepare a written address
and urged the chairman to order the registry to make record of
proceedings available to him to guide him in the written
address.

The prosecution did not object to the application, prompting the
tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar to make an order on the registry to
avail parties in the matter with the record of proceedings.

He also ordered that the record must be made available to the
parties on Monday and adjourned hearing in the no case submission
to March 29.

Okagbue in her evidence in Chief told the tribunal that Onnoghen
maintains 5 different accounts with her bank in Abuja. According to
her, two of the accounts are naira accounts, one saving and the
other current, while the remaining three in pounds, dollars and
euro.

She disclosed that as December 2018, one of the naira accounts
has N2.6m while the other has N12.8m, the euro account as at
December 2018, 10, 187 euros, the pounds Sterling accounts as at
December 2018, had 13,730 pounds and the dollar account as at
January 2019 has $56, 878.

The witness said she met the defendant once in 2015 as a
Relationship Manager.

Under cross examination by Onnoghen’s lawyer, Okagbue said that
the 5 accounts are domicile in the Wuse branch in Abuja and that
Onnoghen never made any foreign transfer from the accounts.

She also confirmed that the 5 accounts have one Bank
Verification Number (BVN). The witness however admitted that
Onnoghen has a facility of $500,000 as at January,2019 with the
bank secured by his investment in bonds and other investment.

She further admitted that Onnoghen as a discipline account
holder was encouraged by bank to invest in profit yeilding
investment and that interest in the investment are regularly
credited to his account, adding that the bank made investment on
Onnoghen’s behalf from his account.

Earlier, the second prosecution witness, Awal Yakassai under
cross examination admitted that two assets declaration forms
submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), by Onnoghen, three
years ago have till date not been verified.

Yakassai, a retired director of the CCB, when his attention was
drawn to the column for remarks, admitted that no comment was made
on the verification column indicating that the forms have not been
verified.

Answering a question, Yakassai further confirmed from the forms
that Onnoghen has only 5 houses contrary to the allegation of 55
properties. One of the houses was said to have been sold to him by
the Federal government.

By PRNigeria