Prostitution and the spread of the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have now become the reality of female teenagers in a community called ‘Cawthorne channel’ in Asari Local government area of Rivers state.
‘’I have been forced to earn a living to support my family. My father used to be a fisherman but presently does not engage in fishing occupation. I stopped going to school when I was in primary five and my father does not stay with us again,’’ says Telema, a 15-year-old girl from Buguma, the capital of Asari-Toru LGA.
She continued, ‘’I meet men here in Cawthorn channel. They like me and I spend the night with them. I always come out at this place in the evenings to meet men because it is usually in the evenings I see men, who are oil workers. They have money and can pay hugely for my services.”
Meeting Telema
The devastating effects of oil spills and pollution have grossly affected livelihood in Niger Delta communities, leading to alarming rate of poverty.
Indigenes who used to be fishermen have lost their main source of living as a result of the environmental disasters caused by spillage from operating oil and gas field, the Cawthorne Channel Field.
Through the executive Director of Centre for Human Rights, Health Ethnic Harmony and Livelihood Development (CHHELD), Mr Dandyson Harry Dandyson, Telema’s story was noticed.
CHHELD is a non-profit organisation that is geared towards providing succour in areas such as human rights, healthcare, peace and conflict resolutions.
Through CHHELD’ services to host communities, Telema exposed how many teenagers excitedly accept huge offers from men who are ready to pay them their expected rate.
Cawthorn Channel
Cawthorn channel is an oil and gas field, owned by Eroton Exploration and Production (Eroton E&P) Company Limited, operator of Oil Mining Licence (OML) 18.
The Cawthorne channel surrounds Buguma, an Island that is surrounded by sea and creeks (the Asari-Toru –Buguma Sea leading to the Cawthorne channels) and Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Cawthorn Chanel 1, Well 15 is operated by Eroton, an indigenous energy company was incorporated in August 2013, and began full operations in 2015.
The company won the bid for the 45 percent total interest in OML 18, previously held by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.
Because of the location of this oil well and businesses surrounding it, some residents are now settling there.
Climate Change impacts
Buguma is an Island that is surrounded by sea and creeks (the Asari-Toru –Buguma Sea leading to the Cawthorne channels and the Amanyanabo Okolo creek connecting to the Girls Secondary School Marywood through to the Buguma fish farm site).
Buguma is sharing boundary at East by Bukuma community of Degema Local Government Area. In the south are the tributaries leading to the Atlantic Ocean; her West by Angulama, Omekwetariama, Minama, Krakrama, Sangama communities and in her north by Ido community of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area.
Buguma like other settlements in the Niger Delta is engulfed with a predominant mangrove swamp vegetation and tropical rain forest climate. The people are pre-occupied with fishing along the creeks that criss-cross the area and sea fishing traditionally in canoes.
Unfortunately, climate change has led to increase in temperature, flooding of ponds, increase in water turbidity, introduction of new fish species, collapse of fish farms infrastructure and fluctuations in salinity levels.
Also, Buguma community residents who were primarily into traditional fishing to earn a living can hardly go out for fishing because of pipeline vandalism, pollution, criminal activities such as piracy, kidnapping, theft, etc. in the creeks.
The high rate of oil pipeline vandalism triggered pollution on the river and creeks, thereby reducing the amount of catch as traditional fishing is no longer as lucrative as it was before.
Last year, an oil spill occurred at the Cawthorn Channel 15 Well.
The Port Harcourt Zonal Director of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Imeh Ekanem confirmed this.
He said, “A spill by Cawthorn Chanel 1, Well 15, operated by Eroton Production Company. The spill happened precisely on the 15th of June, 2022 from the wellhead.
Mr. Ekanem also linked the numerous oil spills recorded in the state to pipeline vandalism.
“People living around there should not go close to the incident area for now.
“They should abstain and stay away from those areas. About 75% to 80% of this is oil theft and pipe vandalism.”
Climate change impact on Women
In Buguma, the women folk are more engaged in fishing. They fetch sea foods like periwinkle, oyster, shellfish, among others close to the town and mostly during the day.
Most of the women don’t throw nets or use hooks and lines.
Speaking to Mr Dandyson, he said that because of drinking polluted water, women have started experiencing infant mortality.
“6 out of every 10 child dies as a result of the pollution. There is also a case where men are now having erectile dysfunction and life span of the average man is revealed to be 35 years.
“In Asari-Toru LGA, Cawthorne channel, is a highy populated fishing port where people go for their normal fishing activity.
“It is like a new community and because of the activities of the IOCs, people have left their original community to those places where people go there to do their businesses.
“Prostitution involving female teenagers is high and HIV is also on a high level.
“A lot of these can also be attributed to illegal oil bunkering, also known as kpo fire.”
Government and NGO intervention
Following the oil spill at Cawthorne channel last year, a statement by the company empathised with the host and impacted communities whom they promised responsible and professional conduct in its operations which conform to global best practices.
“The incident is attributed to sabotage from unknown persons, as the short string has been shut-in since 1988 due to High Gas Oil Ratio (HGOR), while the long string watered out and quit in 1991,” a statement Eroton’s Head of External Affairs and Corporate Communications, Mercy Max-Ebibai.
According to her, “a preliminary Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) found that the entire valves on the Christmas Tree, wellhead accessories (such as the control valves, tree caps, etc.) were removed. The vandals also removed the Well platform and gangway making it more complicated to intervene on the flowing well. The removal of the platform means our technicians have nothing to stand on in attempting to control the unplanned flow as the well is standing at about 30feet above sea level.
Max-Ebibai confirmed that representatives of all the stakeholders took part in the preliminary joint investigation, adding that in spite of numerous challenges encountered, oil spill containment activities had continued.
“The containment booms have been deployed and reinforced to contain the spill spread. Oil recovery has commenced with the mechanical skimming of free phase oil, whilst a Wild Well control vendor, and our engineers are being deployed to site to establish Well Control across all the flowing points on the Christmas Tree with a view to get the well under control,” she said.
For Telema, the realities and impact of climate change, affected her father’s source of livelihood which made her resolve in prostitution in order to earn a living.
Fortunately, she is not infected with HIV but reports by CHHELD’s Director affirmed that young women in the community are living with HIV.
Asides prostitution and HIV, women fisher folks are at risk of rape and kidnapping.
The women even in their fishing which is close to town had been vulnerable to kidnap, rape and even killed in extreme cases.
This has made women find it difficult to go and fetch these sea foods.
The young men and youths in the face of these challenges are not also willing to take the task of going out into the river and casting net at fishes.
To bring hope and restore sense of belonging, Dandyson assured that Telema is currently under the care of CHHELD, which is using her story as an example of the negative impacts of climate change.
He said that Telema is currently going through rehabilitation process and under the care of CHHELD, she will be enrolled in school and properly taken care of through scholarship.
He further urged other NGOs to commit not only in identifying with host communities but to revive people who are already damaged as a result of climate change.