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| RE: DELTA ASSEMBLY WALKS OUT SHELL (SPDC) OFFICIAL |
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| Written by Zik Gbemre | ||||||
| Sunday, 13 July 2008 | ||||||
     The unfortunate thing about this is that, non-acceptance of the truth will permanently keep the persons concerned in a stagnant position, from making any progress or forward movement that will positively affect other stakeholders. That is how best we can describe the familiar situation of the Nigerian government with their style of abdicating their responsibilities to others. In this case, the Delta State House of Assembly and Shell (SPDC). Just recently, the face-off between the Delta State House of Assembly and Shell (SPDC), over the latter's retrenchment exercise assumed a new dimension, as the House Committee raised to investigate the retrenchment exercise carried out by the company walked out a senior official of the company. It happened that the Head of SPDC's Delta Government Relations, Joel Okandeji, was ordered out of the Assembly chambers over what the committee described as arrogance and comments viewed as inciting the people against the government. According to reports, Okandeji allegedly told the Committee that the company is not a charitable organization, adding: "If you go to Kokori, all the things (infrastructural projects) on ground were put there by Shell (SPDC), what has government done?" The Committee members, who were angered by the comments, ordered him out of the main chambers with an instruction on the company's management to either send him for training on relationship or sack him. But we need to ask, what is the essence of any relationship, when the truth cannot be told? Why on earth should the Delta State House Committee get agitated over a Nigerian citizen (who happens to be a Niger Deltan) expressing the fact as it is? It simply tells us the calibre of leaders we have in the Delta State House of Assembly. In as much as we have questioned SPDC's retrenchment/reorganization process that obviously affected some Niger Delta workers, particularly those from Delta State, that does not make the oil and gas company to look like "an enemy". We have emphasized the need for SPDC to ensure fairness during their retrenchment exercise, which according to them was meant to save the company from ultimate collapse. But that does not mean that the government, who are more like partners in business with SPDC, should exonerate themselves from their responsibilities and start pointing accusing fingers. We strongly believe that SPDC, as a multinational oil and gas company, is here to do business, with the ultimate aim of making profit; just like any other business. But how the business activities are conducted, especially when it affects the natural environment and the host community dwellers in a negative way should be taken into consideration to ensure a vent for compensation. That is, giving back the host communities from the much they have extracted. However, we do not believe, and the House committee members in question should understand that, SPDC is not "charitable organization or company". There is a limit to their "social responsibilities" for their host communities. And the gap created here can best and only be filled by the Federal, State and Local governments. SPDC cannot take the role of government when it comes to the provision of social security and the basic needs of life. Asking or compelling them to do that will only create the opportunities for our public leaders in government to misappropriate public funds the more into their private purse. The major percentage of social responsibilities that can develop the Niger Delta, particularly Delta State, rests on the shoulders of the government. Not accepting this fact is rendering their existence as invalid. Agreed that the Delta State House Committee has every statutory right to investigate SPDC retrenchment exercise and ensure fairness, that does not mean they should ride over the right of the company's representative Mr. Okandeji, in expressing his mind and the hard truth, which only few Nigerians can be courageous enough to tell them. Besides, the acting General Manager of SPDC, Monday Ikhureigbe, in company of Joel Okandeji and two other officials of the company, were able to furnish the ad-hoc committee that only 887 Nigerians were affected by the retrenchment exercise, with 253 of them representing 28 percent Deltans, adding that 80 of them protested the retrenchment and were before an appeal panel, while majority voluntarily left. While we are not trying to defend SPDC here, in all of their activities, especially the current retrenchment saga, it still does not stop us from saying the truth. And walking the SPDC representative, out from the main chambers of the Delta State House, does not erase the truth from being told anyday, anytime. It still does not justify the fact that the government has not been faithful to the people of Delta State. The Kokori example given by Okandeji, is just one of the many cases evident in Delta State, where there have been total neglect, impoverishment and abandonment, as a result of the government's unfaithfulness in judiciously utilizing the enormous wealth that comes to the state. Even the intervention commission, DESOPADEC, that was established to alleviate the suffering of Deltans, are making matters worst with their frivolous projects and serving as a medium for gratifying some selected "selfish interests" in government circles. It is also out of place, undemocratic and uncivilized in this present age, that a citizen of the State, who honoured the invitation of the ad-hoc committee, to appear before it, should be walked out of the Delta State House complex. What impression are the legislators trying to portray? Are we in a military era? Is the state House a judicial court room? Are the legislators trying to tell us that they are now above the electorates, who supposedly elected them into public office to serve the interest of all? We seriously doubt! We believe the State House creates a forum where problems grievances and issues affecting state are amicably settled. This calls for ensuring an atmosphere where one can express his mind bothering on issues affecting all. Even when such issues raised, like the one raised by Okandeji, seem not to be palatable to the members of the House. It still does not give them the right to walk out a bonafide citizen of Delta State in which they represent. It is simply unheard of in other parts of the civilized world. This was how some Delta State House of Assembly members walked out Donald Ovberedjo of SPDC some five years ago, asking him to go get his boss Marteen Wink, before they will take the company seriously. This trend should not be encouraged one bit, especially in a democratic setting like ours. If it comes to behaving honourably within the State's House complex, the Delta state legislators have faulted times without number with their malicious statements, unholy attitudes and disgraceful behaviours not desired from "Honourables". Just like they did not too long ago by using thugs to fight one another within the House complex that eventually led to one former member getting hospitalized in the process. Therefore, they are not better off to prevent someone else from telling them the truth considering the fact that Mr. Okandeji and others, honoured the invitation of the House, he should be given the room to express himself. What they have done in this situation, will make others, when invited to appear before the State House, to have rethink in honouring their invitation. The current Delta State House of Assembly members particularly the ad-hoc committee in question, should not turn the Legislative House into an arena where lies are exchanged for the truth, and everybody pretends as if all is well. Doing that will be like living in deception, living in a fools paradise. We strongly advise them to take a cue from the Federal House of Assembly. Where we have had cases, when invited persons were at logger heads and in disagreements with the legislators but there was never a time, when someone was walked out of the Federal House of Representatives because of what they have said or something else they have done. Or how many times have we seen the Federal legislators using thugs to harass one another. All these are attributes the Delta State House of Assembly members should learn from. Besides, what makes leaders is their ability to accommodate differences arising from those they (portend to) lead and still maintain their focus on the reality on ground. Any leader that cannot swallow positive criticisms does not have or know what it takes to lead. It is as a result of the fact that the government has abdicated their statutory responsibilities to the people that the oil and gas companies, i.e. Shell, Chevron, Texaco, Mobil etc, have now turned to be the focal point of attention and demands from the people since they are within their reach. Unlike the government that are far away in their executive houses and offices most of the time, taking decisions that are alien to the realities on ground in the grassroots, the oil and gas companies are first-hand contacts of the local populace in their quest for developmental changes. Now that somebody was bold enough to tell the Delta lawmakers the hard truth face to face, they view it as a statement that can incite the people against the government. It is simply a clear demonstration of a conscience filled with guilt and irresponsibility. They know that Okandeji has told them the truth, but their self-pride and to avoid shame, has made them react the way they did. But the bottom line is that, it is high time the public (and indeed Deltans), rose against the unbridled stealing and corrupt practices that is going on around us in the name of governance. Somebody once said that "the limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress". As long as Deltans keep quite and shy away from the truth, our supposed public leaders will continue with their misguided intentions only aimed at increasing their private accounts and that of their families and friends. The truth is the only thing that can set us free from years of neglect and poverty. Let us all stand for what is right and truthful for posterity sake. This we urge.  Quote this article on your site | Views: 370 | Print | E-mail
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