Due to the negative impact of alleged environmental devastation on their land the people of Park Akatikpo Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State have asked the Federal Government to relocate them from their current location.

Chairman of the community, George Jumbo made this demand on Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Bonny, Rivers State during an interactive session with a team from the House of Representatives which visited the community.

The team led by Enobong Amos, clerk of the House of Representatives Committee on Environment, was in Park Akatikpo Community for an on-the-spot assessment of the environmental breaches alleged by the community.

The Community led by its Head, Warisenibo David Jumbo had earlier presented a petition to the House Committee on Environment during a meeting facilitated by the Mangrove Forest Conservation Society of Nigeria led by Dr Akie Hart.

The Park Akatikpo Community Chairman narrated the sufferings of his people due to what he described as “insensitivity” on the part of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG).

“Our shoreline is being washed away, our houses by the shores are falling apart because the foundations are being washed away; all these due to the heavy waves from vessels owned by the NLNG.”

He stated that the various marine vessels plying the Bonny River owned by the NLNG fail to take note of the environmental wellbeing of the community as they always sail past on high speed thus causing waves that wash off the shoreline of the community.

During the inspection he showed the House of Representatives team the aggressive waves from the sea, even as two boats providing logistics services to the NLNG escorted by two gunboats manned by Nigerian Navy personnel, all sailed past on high speed.

He lamented that “even the shore protection we did; you can see it is gone; our shores were like two kilometers back into the sea counting from where we’re standing now but the waves have reduced the shoreline up to what we have here now”.  

As for Shell, Jumbo regretted that the company has caused them more woes than advantages, pointing out to the team the effluents from Shell’s Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal discharging into the community’s drainage system, accusing the company of endangering the lives of community residents by not managing its effluents as consistent with global best practices.

According to Wikipedia, the virtual encyclopedia, “Effluent is wastewater from sewers or industrial outfalls that flows directly into surface waters, either untreated or after being treated at a facility”.

Also accusing Shell of encroaching on the community’s land, the Park Akatikpo Community Chairman showed the House of Representatives team how the company made attempt at extending beyond the portion it was allocated on lease by the Jumbo Major House and Brown Major House with consent of Bonny Kingdom.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has stated that “To accomplish necessary public interest objectives, including, for example, renovating building infrastructure, constructing a health clinic, building a road, establishing a protected area, reducing disaster risk, among other objectives, may sometimes involve physical or economic displacement of individuals or communities (referred to as “development-induced displacement”)”.

It further states that “Economic displacement occurs when individuals or communities are fully or partially restricted in their access to land or resources that are important to their livelihoods”, and “when displacement cannot be avoided, it must be done in a way that minimizes and mitigates risks and impacts on a community or individuals”.

The UNDP asserts that “Displacement activities may impact a wide range of rights, including rights to adequate housing, food, water, health, education, work, security of the person, security of the home, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, freedom of movement, and access to sites of spiritual and cultural concern, among others”.

On his part, a former lawmaker, Dipinye Jumbo, who is also a member of the Community, gave thumbs down to both Shell and NLNG, berating both multinationals for neglect, abandonment and discrimination against his community despite being instrumental to them having land for their business operations for more than six decades.

He called on the Federal Government to heed the appeal by his people by responding to their request to be relocated from the present location, asserting that the sufferings of his people has become unbearable and requires urgent and adequate attention.

Responding, Charles Onyekatu, leader of the NLNG team, which comprised staff from the Community Relations, Government Relations, External Relations and Corporate Security Services (CSS) said it was unfair to attempt to scapegoat the NLNG in the matter of utilization of the maritime space, explaining that the Bonny Channel is an exclusive maritime zone.

He stated that the NLNG’s reputation for proper environmental management is consolidated, appealing to the Park Akatikpo Community to see NLNG as a friend rather than an enemy, asserting that “NLNG na Bonny indigene, and na friend of Bonny people”, adding that “even husband and wife dey quarrel but them dey settle”.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was not available during the interactive session and efforts by Kristina Reports to reach the management for a reaction on the claims of the Park Akatikpo Community was yet unsuccessful as at the time of this report.

In his response, team leader of the House of Representative team, Enobong Amos commended the Park Akatikpo Community for its disposition and predilection to utilize appropriate and lawful channels towards resolving issues affecting it, promising that the House of Representatives, as a parliament of the people of Nigeria, would dispassionately review the issues raised.

He stated that the interest and wellbeing of the peoples of Nigeria were paramount and the House Committee on Environment would be properly briefed on the findings of the team, urging the community to have faith on the Committee.

Earlier, the President of the Mangrove Forest Conservation Society of Nigeria, Dr Akie Hart had informed the visitors that Park Akatikpo Community, which is one of the communities that comprise the Jumbo Major House of Bonny Kingdom, has suffered enough environmental assault such that it has become inconvenient for her people to continue to reside at the current location.

He pointed out that just as stated in the petition before the House of Representatives, the Community resorted to engaging the National Assembly as a law abiding community which habitation, economic wellbeing, air quality integrity, and soil verdancy, among others have become threatened, thus subjecting it to a situation where it is demanding a relocation.

Other members of the Community who spoke lamented that Shell and NLNG have continued to deny them opportunities such as employment, contracts and has not done any form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects in the community.   

On hand with the Chairman of the Community to show the House of Representatives team around were some elders of the community such as Amasenibo Fidelis Jumbo, and Maxwell Ibietonye, among others.