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By Wilson Macaulay

The President of the Peace Development Security and Humanitarian Rights Association of Niger Deltans and the Egbema Communities Peace Development and Humanitarian Rights Association, Comrade Mike J.K. Tiemo, has issued a detailed clarification on the situation in the 97 Oloduwa host communities within OML 40, located in Egbema Kingdom, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Comrade Tiemo said misleading claims are being circulated by some groups and warned that such narratives do not reflect verified realities on ground. He stressed that misinformation risks distorting facts relating to ongoing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and interventions within the oil-bearing communities.

Describing the need for public clarification as urgent, the respected humanitarian advocate said some of the recent statements attributed to an NGO were filled with “distortions, half-truths, and unverified submissions” that do not represent the views or experiences of the Opuama, Polobubo, or Tsekelewu communities, nor those of the wider Oloduwa people.

“The recent publication credited to an NGO does not denote the devastating situation and its negative effect on our communities. They do not represent our experiences, our challenges, or the actual ESG interventions currently ongoing within OML 40,” he stated.

Comrade Tiemo said he cannot allow inaccurate narratives to overshadow the real developmental neglect confronting the communities under the present operational structure.

He explained that the region continues to suffer from decades of pollution, much of which began during the operations of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

According to him, the new operators — NNPC Limited, Ecrest E & P Limited, and their associates — have equally contributed to further environmental degradation affecting all 97 Oloduwa host communities, not just Opuama, Tsekelewu, and Polobubo.

“We must assert that the endemic pollution from past and present spills has contributed adversely to the environmental degradation we witness today. For any objective discussion, the truth must be acknowledged, and constitutionally, assets and liabilities are inherited by the new operators,” he emphasized.

Contrary to some media portrayals, Tiemo said the affected communities remain in serious conflict with the current operators of OML 40 due to their failure to address long-standing grievances. He revealed that the communities are engaged in multiple court cases seeking justice on unresolved and critical issues.

He recalled that they approached the High Court and the Federal High Court in Delta State in 2019 over issues including the lack of basic amenities, poor employment opportunities, refusal to recruit qualified graduates as direct staff despite a workforce of over 3,500 persons, failure to pay compensation for oil spills attributed to equipment failure, and refusal to pay general and special damages. Other issues include the absence of scholarship awards, failure to establish a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) from 2013 to 2021 before the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2022, and alleged marginalisation of the 95 Oloduwa communities by engaging only Opuama and Tsekelewu in violation of a 2016 agreement reached with the Delta State Government and community representatives.

Tiemo noted that since the commencement of the operators’ activities, the livelihood of host community residents has been severely undermined.

He appealed to NGOs, media organisations, and civil society groups to verify information with recognised community leadership before releasing public statements.

“Our communities are not opposed to advocacy — we welcome it. But advocacy must be grounded in truth, objectivity, and proper consultation without bias. Anything short of that is a disservice to the struggle for a cleaner, safer, and more developed Egbema Kingdom,” he said.

He recalled that in 2023, 100 major projects were executed across the 112 communities in OML 30 by the same operator, formerly NPDC and now NNPC Limited, and that all projects were commissioned by Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.

The Peace Development Security and Humanitarian Rights Association, in collaboration with the Egbema Communities Peace Development and Humanitarian Rights Association, reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, development, environmental justice, and peaceful coexistence between oil operators and host communities in line with the PIA.

Comrade Tiemo called on the operators (“settlors”) to urgently address the critical issues raised by the communities.

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