1803 to 1815 in Europe was an era of the Napoleonic Wars that arose from the conflict of the French Revolution, one of the categories of the wars was the third coalition in 1805.
Napoleon inherited a very chaotic republic but turned the tides around with the aid of stable finances, well-trained army and strong bureaucracy in his administration.
The intense wars gave birth to the Congress of Vienna that facilitated relative peace enjoyed for a very long duration in Europe through the spread of nationalism and liberalism.
The proverbial clause, protect the goose that lays the golden egg, has not been tenable in oil communities of Belema, Offoin Ama, Kile Ama 1 Kula Communities of Akuku-ToruLocal Government of Rivers state, as the indigenous people of those communities suffer series of social deprivations.
It was a rare privilege to accompany the President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb Sukubo Sara Igbe Sukubo, in company of other youth leaders from across the federation, to an on-the-spot assessment of the state of welfare of the people of the oil communities mentioned earlier, which arose from recent tension created by the attempt by the JTF to eject the Belema Community Women from their watch over Shell facilities closed down by the Belema Community.
The visit reveals agonies of people residing on their ancestral lands, with just an endowment – rivers filled with crude oil, coincidentally, the main source of wealth for this country.
These people are crying for attention, they desire a new lease of livelihood, for over forty years of crude oil exploration by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), virtually nothing to show in terms of corporate social responsibilities by Shell to the generality of the community other than divide and rule tactics.
One had expected that the struggles of the Niger Delta people including militancy against the country, which was rested with the amnesty by the federal government, had settled all dust.
Sadly, only the boys were settled, the communities remain in degradation.
An insight offered by the elite among the residents of these communities revealed the deficiency in the Petroleum Bill, which gives the federal government 55% and oil companies 45% profit sharing, leaving the host communities at the mercy of government, whereas, the oil companies ordinarily should develop the host communities with or without direct percentage on profit sharing for the host communities.
Countless numbers of indigenes have lost their lives to cholera epidemics, while maternal mortality increases with every child bearing as a result of nonavailability of both potable water and hospitals over the years, until recently when a good Samaritan and UNICEF contributed a quota to provide pipe borne water.
The Belema Community shut down the SPDC operations in 2017 for not considering them on what is termed right of first refusal.
The community has remained steadfast in their opposition to the refusal of Shell to consider an indigenous oil company from purchase of higher shares in the process of divesting.
The decision is considered as a continuation of social deprivation, and they explained their conviction that an indigenous oil company can never ignore corporate social responsibilities simply for payments of gratifications to indigenous agents that usually sabotage their people.
Their conviction is borne out of the fact that an indigenous company with operating license within the same local government has transformed the host community from deprivations to abundance, this feat they desire sincerely towards the development of their communities.
Despite the abundance of natural resources in Nigeria, our economy has been nose-diving from decade to decade; our assets have turned to liabilities.
This sad situation has always disturbed sane minds-the terrible situation of the host communities where major oil exploration takes place gives a strong verdict.
No potable water, no electricity, no hospitals and no standard schools in the communities that provide the resources for the welfare of the entire citizenry.
The activities of Shell Petroleum are tantamount to a rape and the tension in those communities must be quelled through yielding to the yearnings of the host communities.
We can’t continue to play politics with the aspirations of these people that crave for an improved welfare from the oil producing companies operating in their domains that assured them of better life.
“Resist the devil and it shall flee from thee”.
When will the evil tree fall? Bandits are known for razing helpless people of their belongings, without mercy, SPDC are behaving like bandits to those communities and they are already on voyage, yet the detest transformations of those communities, if not, what can account for the social deprivations obtainable in those communities.
The visitation afforded me the opportunity to reflect on issues such as perception and humanity.
Illusory perceptions which are rarely examined at the stage of conceptualization often cause deception to sane minds.
When the adornments of life are achieved with ease, the favoured usually ignore the fact that, good time only last forever for those that lust not in self-glorification or for contented humans with savings for period of draught.
Most times, the affluent consider the downtrodden as poor; they are poor because the society failed to protect their interest.
Aquatic sphere offers the oil communities certain benefits which are killed by oil exploration.
Character molding and attitude building are dependent on training, whether societal or parental.
Ignored or accepted, a man is a product of his own determination, provided he is neither physically deformed nor mentally deformed.
It’s not possible for all to attain same heights or ranks, some must serve others, whether by conquest, compelling needs, human fallibility or repression, but we can all live in harmony, if only our strives for truth is not a product of inordinate ambition.
Our society suffers today because most of the wealthy citizens achieved their riches through dubious means, creating example for others to toll similar ignoble lane, what a hoax; yet, we all crave for a better society.
The federal government must come to the aid of these helpless communities.
The goofs of SPDC must be corrected, and we must forbid a continuation of the pains of these oil communities.
They desire to live a better life to advance the cause of humanity henceforth.
Let’s end the nest of poor governance in Nigeria by aligning with good conscience to determine our collective interest.
Shoot oppression down, raise the flag of freedom.
Comrade Agboola, President, Greener Nigeria Movement
