By Obiabin Onukwugha
A development professional, Tijani Abdulkareem, has expressed concern over rising tension between Bauchi and Gombe communities over the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities in the area.
Abdulkareem stressed the need for proper sensitisation of the communities concerning the inherent negative impact of oil exploration and exploitation before commencement of activities by oil companies.
He also called on the federal government to takes steps that will avert impending communal crisis between the two states.
Abdulkareem who is the Executive Director of Socio-Economic Research and Development Center (SERDC), said the tensions comes as the local communities bicker over where the oil is actually located.
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He spoke at a webinar hosted by Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, recently.
The development expert posited that the recent town hall meeting organized by ERA/FoEN in Bauchi state has exposed to the people the social impacts of oil exploration, even before the environmental impacts begin.
He said: The discovery of oil is already creating tension between Bauchi and Gombe state because the oil wells are within the boundaries of Bauchi and Gombe state. Because of that, there is already a conflict going on among the border communities on who really owns the oil wells.
“Because of the oil derivation funds at the federal level that has been sold to the commoners, the people are seeing oil as a blessing but are ignorant of the effects of oil exploration on human rights. If you go to these communities in Alkari and some parts of Adoh in Gombe, the idea of oil as a blessing is changing every day because of the social impacts on the people, rising from the attitudes of the oil workers in the community, immorality of the oil workers, slave burden on community youths, kidnapping, boundary tensions, land grabbing and other issues.”
Abdulkareem called for more engagements from the civil society organizations, community based organizations and the media to ensure that he human rights and the environment of the people are protected.
He also called for the establishment of a national guideline that looks at the issues of divestment in the oil and gas sector.
