Rivers Lawmakers End 2-Day Training In Port Harcourt With Compelling Communique

A COMMUNIQUÉ ADOPTED AT THE END OF A TWO-DAY TRAINING FOR RIVERS STATE LEGISLATORS ON BEST PRACTICE MECHANISMS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE GOVERNANCE ORGANISED BY CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT (CEHRD) IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ON 5TH - 6TH SEPTEMBER, 2016 AT GOLDEN TULIP HOTEL, PORT HARCOURT.
Preamble
Democratization has highlighted the importance of the legislature and the quality of democracy in any country as a function of the quality of the legislative institution. Lawmakers in the Niger Delta have a role in reducing the risk of environmental degradation/pollution, community anger/restiveness against oil companies and the government by conducting regular public scrutiny of the extent of compliance with relevant policies. It is in view of this that a 2-day training was organised for Rivers lawmakers in port Harcourt, between 5th and 6th September, 2016 on the best practice mechanisms for natural resource governance. Participants at the training include the Honourable speaker, Principal Officers of the 8th Assembly, Committee chairmen and members of the 8th Assembly, as well as representatives of key CSOs in the state.
Highlights
Participants agreed that oil related environmental problems are serious enough for the government, oil companies and local communities.
Participants observed that pollution caused by the activities of oil companies has been associated with diverse health, social, economic, and political conditions for the government, as the country depends on the oil industry for the bulk of her foreign exchange.
Participants agreed that activities of oil multinationals are contributing immensely to the destruction of the environment through climate change phenomenon which is no longer a theory, but a reality.
Participants noted that under the Land Use Act, land and its resources, including mineral resource, like oil and gas belong to the Federal government. The Federal Government is also an interested party in the business, serving as joint venture partner with some of the international oil companies. The implication of this is that government is a co-liability owner towards the protecting the environment from oil pollution. The net result is a lack of political will to compel or sufficiently punish non compliance with environmental policies.
Participants regretted that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is still gathering dust at the National Assembly over five years after it was first introduced.
Participants observed that the nature of the federal structure and the national laws have made it extremely hard for state legislatures to carry out oversight functions in terms of holding IOCs to respect local environmental laws and apply International best standards practices.
Participants frowned at the skewed nature of resource ownership, which has excluded the Niger Delta oil bearing communities and led to a regime of lack of accountability by the oil companies. Closely related to the matter of ownership is the clamour for transparency in the award of oil blocks.
Participants agreed that public and committee hearings, regular visits to executive agency administrators and general public scrutiny in the context of environmental democracy, are ways by which legislators can allow their oversight responsibilities to play out.
Resolutions
Participants resolved As Follows:
 Empowering regulatory agencies to insulate them from over dependence on the oil companies. In addition there is an urgent need to streamline the functions of the multiple regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector in order to eliminate conflict of interest/functions which has allowed the oil companies the lee way to continue degrading the environment, thereby defeating the purposes for which the agencies were created.  
 Amendment of the constitution to give states oversight over activities of the oil companies in other to regulate the activities of the oil companies and better protect the environment.
 Enforcing the Joint Investigation Visits, Environmental Impact Assessment, and other laws available for environmental protection. EIAs and JIVs should be made to be transparent, participatory and accountable in accordance with the provisions of the EIAs and JIVs.
 Renegotiating the Joint Venture agreements between the government and the oil companies to ensure that the government does not remain in a situation that it is being forced to regulate itself or to be a judge on its own matter.
 Urgent and speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)  as a panacea for dousing the current spate of agitations in the oil producing communities.
 Sustained and continuous collaboration between legislators, as the true representatives of the people and NGOs/Civil Society, especially Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) and Amnesty International.
 Regular capacity building  for lawmakers to enhance their lawmaking oversight functions for the benefit of their constituencies.

Conclusion.
Participants commended the Centre for Environment ,Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) , Amnesty International  and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria for facilitating the training programme.

Signed:
Rt. Hon. Dabotorudima Adams
Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly

Signed:
Hon. Sam Ogeh
Chairman, House Committee on Information and Training

Signed:                                                                                                                  
 Dr. Nenibarini Zabbey                                                                                        
Coordinator, Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD)