The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) on Monday urged ExxonMobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to urgently obey the Federal High Court judgment that ordered it to pay the sum of N81.9 billion compensation to the fishing and farming communities of Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom state.
BusinessDay reports, that the Federal High Court sitting at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja had on 21 June 2021 in a judgment gave 14 days ultimatum to the multi-national oil company and NNPC to pay N81.9 billion to the fishing and farming communities in Ibeno Local Government Area for several oil spills that destroyed their rivers, streams and other sources of livelihoods.
The Ibeno communities led by Obong Effiong Archianga and nine others had through their lawyers, Lucius Nwosu (SAN), brought the action against NNPC, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and ExxonMobil Corporation
They had sought about N100 billion compensation for economic losses suffered from oil spillages caused by the defendants during exploration.
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In a judgment delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, ordered that the payment must be paid within 14 days, and failure of which eight percent interest would be accruable on the principal sum annually.
Taiwo, who held that the American oil company and NNPC were negligent in the way they handled oil spills that caused environmental degradation in the communities, particularly took a swipe at the NNPC for being interested in the revenue generations from the oil exploration at the expense of the lives of the people in the communities.
But seven days after the judgment, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) applauded the Ibeno communities for remaining steadfast in the pursuit of justice despite all odds.
A statement signed by ERA/FoEN director of programmes, Mike Karikpo on behalf of the organization’s executive director,
Godwin Uyi Ojo, praised the Nigerian judiciary for the rational and courageous decisions that they have been handing down recently in cases involving local communities and the multinational oil and gas companies.
Ojo who described the judgment as a landmark success on the long walk to environmental justice and the protection of the environment and livelihoods, urged the multi-national oil company and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to urgently obey the Federal High Court judgement by paying the compensation in line with the court ordered.
According to him, the judgement is 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.
“ERA/FoEN therefore call on Mobil Producing Nigeria unlimited to ensure the prompt payment of the compensation as directed by the court within 14 days and not to repeat the stance of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) that has refused to pay the N17 billion compensation awarded by a Nigerian court to the Ejama-Ebubu community in Eleme local government area of Rivers state for oil spills that devastated their land in 2010.
“This spill occurred during the Nigerian civil war 1967-1970 and Shell has refused to undertake proper cleanup of the spill or pay adequate compensation. In November 2020 Shell lost an attempt to extricate itself from responsibility for the spill and the compensation cost awarded against it.
“Such court judgments represents 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.”
“The Nigerian supreme court rejected Shell’s bid to set aside the 2010 compensation award, with accruing interest the compensation claim now stands at N180 billion which is far less than the monumental environmental damage, biodiversity losses and destruction of livelihoods.”
“By this victory, the impacted people will likely no longer resort to self-help. The land mark judgement speak 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”, he said.
