Oil spills: Activists ask Mobil to obey court judgement awarding N82bn to Akwa Ibom communities

Godwin Ojo, executive director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has called on Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to comply with the court ruling that ordered the sum of N81.9 billion be paid to communities in Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom state.

The federal high court in Abuja had on June 21 directed Mobil and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay the sum as damages for oil spillage in the communities.

The affected communities had dragged the oil companies to court, demanding adequate compensation for several oil spills that destroyed their rivers, streams and other sources of livelihood.

In a press statement issued at the ERA/FoEN headquarters in Benin City on Monday, Ojo said the judgment is significant for the drive towards environmental justice and protection of the environment and livelihoods.

He said the judgement would “rekindle hope in the court system” and encourage communities to approach the court for similar harm done to their environment.

“The judgment is also significant because payment of compensation to the victims of oil pollution will impact positively on the lives of the people of the Niger Delta suffering under the heavy burden of oil spills pollution and destruction of their livelihoods,” he said.

“A conflict arbitration resolution mechanism that will help to rekindle hope in the court system that justice may be delayed by oil companies with war chest for huge legal fees, but cannot be denied. There is no more hiding place for oil companies and they should take full responsibility to comply immediately, and to clean up and pay up compensation immediately”.

“The landmark judgment speaks to the question of access to justice that is being upheld and given relevance. With this victory it is hoped that many communities will approach the courts with thousands of oil spills and pollution cases pending some of which are yet to come before the courts or to get a date in court.”

Mike Karikpo, the organisation’s director of programmes, commended the Ibeno communities for remaining steadfast in the pursuit of justice despite obstacles and also the Nigerian judiciary for its recent judgements in cases involving local communities and the multinational oil and gas companies that “have often used their deep pockets to capture and truncate the judicial process”.

He said as oil is losing its position as the global choice for energy, there is a need for the cleanup and restoration of ecosystems polluted by oil spillage.

“This is even more relevant in this decade of ecosystem restoration declared by the United Nations. As oil fades as the energy source of choice across the world, it is imperative that all oil impacted ecosystems across the country should be cleaned and restored as much as possible to the state they were before the commencement of oil mining activities,”