THE importance of peace in the overall development of any society cannot be overemphasized. This is because peace is a basic requirement for a conducive environment needed for economic growth and social development. The level of peace and security in a state or country is an index of measuring how the government prioritizes development, which can only be engendered through a deliberate peace building process geared towards addressing the underlying causes of conflict.
In recognition of the role of peace in the promotion of harmonious relationships among communities, implementation of quality development programmes, as well as provision of an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, the Delta State government incorporated peace building for meaningful development in the MORE Agenda. It is to the credit of the government that the state today is one of the most peaceful and business friendly States in the country, as a result of the proactive measures so far taken by the government.
Overtime, some oil companies operating not just in the state but across the Niger- Delta region, had been having disputes with host communities mostly bordering on corporate social responsibility issues. In a recent case, three host communities in the state namely; Obotie, Gbekoko, and Abigborodo, embarked on protest over alleged marginalization and failure of the oil firm operating in their area to recognize them as host communities.
The effort of the state government to address the issues raised by Seplat West Africa Limited, in a petition regarding the accusations levelled against the company by host communities, which was geared towards sustaining existing peace in the state and to forestall any conflict between the company and the host communities, is a welcome development
In most cases, where conflicts between the oil companies and host communities are allowed to fester, it often leads to disruption of the oil company’s operations, resulting in the loss of revenue that accrues to the state due to reduction in the volume of oil production in the state. It also discourages would be investors from coming to the state, while already existing ones may decide to relocate to a more friendly environment.
The step taken by the state government through the office of the Special Adviser on peace building and conflict resolution to resolve the issues raised by Seplat in their petition is quite commendable. No responsible government will allow investors to be chased away because, apart from growing their businesses through the help of the state, they contribute to the development of the state.
While we urge the host communities to sheathe their swords and follow the state government’s conflict resolution mechanism for resolving their grievances, the oil firm should be alive to its responsibilities to the host communities by striving to fulfill their obligations to the communities. We enjoin the the oil firms be sincere in the implementation of agreements reached with the host communities.
The Oil companies should endeavor to build a robust relationship with the host communities by providing social amenities for them and offering employment opportunities to their youths to engage them meaningfully and stave off protests usually perpetrated by community youths.
To avert the incidence of disputes between oil firms and the host communities, we call on the government to show more interest in ensuring that parties comply with the details of their agreements. This is because most of the disputes arise from non-compliance with some aspects of the agreement reached by both parties. The government should equally show concern on how the oil companies comply with the laws guiding remediation of the negative impacts of oil exploration activities in the communities, such as environmental degradation and health hazards, which on some occasions have led to conflicts.
