A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Global Rights (GR), has frowned at the $53 billion spent by the oil companies in the region between 2007 and 2011 to secure their installations while offering suggestions on how to end militancy in the Niger delta permanently for the benefit of all.
The group, which came up with an initiative called ‘Voluntary Principles (VPs) on Security and Human Rights,’ said the model had solved similar problems in Colombia.
“Specifically, the VPs guide companies in conducting a comprehensive human rights risk assessment in their engagement with public and private security providers to ensure the human rights of host communities are respected in the protection of company facilities and premises,” she said.
Speaking at a workshop organised for the media, government agencies, security, mining companies and CSOs, the Country Director,GR, Abiodun Baiyewu-Teru, said the use of the model would save the companies and the country the billions they spend to ensure smooth exploration.
She said despite the huge amount, more than 50 attacks on oil installations were recorded in 2012, $3 billion was lost to oil bunkering in the first 7 months of 2013, about 1000 persons killed and 300 taken hostage, while about $10 billion got divested due to “unfavourable operating environment.”
Arguing that it was time to have a rethink on how to confront the Niger delta challenges, she said both government and the oil companies needed to copy the Colombia’s model.
She said VPs on Security and Human Rights (VPs) is a multi-stakeholder initiative involving governments, companies, and NGOs that promotes implementation of a set of principles that guide companies in the extractive industry on providing security for their operations in a manner that respects human rights.
She said overwhelmed by the spate of insurgency similar to the ones experienced in the Niger delta region today, Colombian authorities and the companies set up a stakeholder committee in 2006 to look into human rights records of security personal, impacts of security on the communities.
She said the results was the drastic drop in kidnapping incidence from 3572 in 2000, 687 in 2006 and 172 in 2009.
She said with the initiative, the communities now see themselves as co-owners of the wealth and had avenues of channeling seeking redress when they felt injured.
