PRAWA Holds Sensitization Outreach In Owaza Oil Community In Abia

.......Lay emphasis on Human Rights, relationship with companies, others

[caption id="attachment_120193" align="alignnone" width="881"] PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh[/caption]

A Non-governmental Organization (NGO), Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), has carried out a Sensitization Outreach in Owaza Oil producing community in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.

The outreach sponsored by Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, and DCAF, held on Saturday, December 4, 2021, with a focus theme;

"Community Awareness Outreach and Capacity Building on Reinforcing Voluntary Principles Implementation in Nigeria".

Addressing participants at the event, the Abia State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Barrister Uche Nwokocha, stressed on the need for community members to adopt peaceful approach in resolving conflicts between the host community and oil companies who engage in drilling of natural resources in the area.

She charged them to always approach the NHRC to lay their complaints, assuring that the Commission will at all time, ensure that individuals and group human rights are not abused.

Barrister Nwokocha explained that in cases of reported human right abuse, the NHRC without any fee attached to the complainant, takes up the matter and where possible, attract compensation for complainants from the law court.

She said victims of human rights abuse can reach the NHRC for assistance at their office located at no. 9 Item street by Calabar road, Umuahia or call 09024425728, 08033766058, 08033473732 email: nhrcabia@gmail.com.

Sensitizing the participants on voluntary Principles, the instructor, Honest Munachimso Offor, explained that voluntary Principles on security and human rights is a collaborative effort by governments, major multinational extractive companies and NGOs to provide guidance to companies on tangible steps that they can take to minimize the risk if human rights abuses in communities located near extraction sites.

He stressed that there is need for extraction companies to conduct risk assessment before drilling in oil communities.

Offor regretted that the private securities employed by these companies are not subjected to trainings which warrant them to infringe on the rights of indigenes.

He added that " there is no need for the military to guard the oil facilities, rather it is members of the host community who are supposed to be trained and employed to protect the facilities".

Speaking to ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER, the Executive director, and founder, PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh said the outreach was initiated for peace to exist between the oil producing communities, the oil companies and the government.

She said development can come where the people are empowered and human rights are not abused.

Dr Agomoh explained that the outreach is divided into 3 phases; Awareness creation in communities on conflict resolution, working with different government agencies and ministries involved in oil excavation, hosting strategic sessions which will bring the companies and host communities together for conflict resolution.

Chief Maxwell Nwagbara, the Prime Minister, Owaza community said "with ty training today I don't think there will be any restiveness . We have learnt how to coexist with the oil companies existing here.

By this training we have learnt that we can get our rights peacefully without confrontations."

He told our correspondent that the community has been deprived of so many things including employment opportunities.

He said the Owaza community hosts oil companies like; Total Gas Stations, Nigeria Gas Company (NGC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) whose activities causes serious environmental degradation which also affects their health.

The prime minister said they want the community to be developed, their roads fixed and their children be either employed, or trained in skill acquisition and also scholarships awarded.

On their own part, the youths representative noted that the Owaza youths are marginalized and the unemployment rate has increased even with their oil being grilled.

"We have multinational companies that can engage all the youths here, but you see that our youths are left out.

Today what we are seeing among our youths both skilled and unskilled, educated and uneducated, is not what we expected."

Highpoint of the event was conferment of Human right ambassadorship on selected community members who will act as desk officers laising between the NHRC and the community.