INFLUENCING THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PROCESS; Key to Improving Standard Of Living in Niger Delta

The discovery of Black Gold popularly known as Crude Oil in commercial quantities in Oloibiri, Ogbia local government area (LGA), in Bayelsa State of the Niger Delta in the year 1956 placed Nigeria among the group of oil-producing nations, which today remains Africa’s largest producer. It is estimated that Nigeria has a daily production of 2.4 million barrels, making it the 13th largest producer of oil worldwide. Also, Nigeria has the second largest proven oil supplies in Africa and the 10th largest in the world. Interestingly, amidst the complexity of ethnic, environmental, political, and social problems besetting  environments where this highly valuable resource are drawn, it remains the principal export, and largest source of foreign earnings. Petroleum has accounted for 80% of Nigerian federal government’s revenue and 95% of the country’s export earnings. In evaluating the serious harms that this development has brought to the region, the benefits enjoyed so far are infinitesimal.

The downstream sector of the oil and gas is majorly responsible for the refining, distributing, and retailing of petroleum products. This portion of industry includes oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum distributors, and natural gas distribution companies. They provide numerous products such as jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane. There are several environmental impacts that have been connected to various downstream petroleum activities. Distribution activities has been heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which has resulted in more greenhouse gas emission to the atmosphere contributing to about 3.8 percent from African countries including Nigeria. Other harmful gasses include Carbon dioxide, Sulfur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxides from production which has also resulted to release of hazardous materials such as solvents or ground water from production. Indiscriminate disposal of waste into water bodies has also endangers aquatic lives rendering many species on migration to less prone waters. This has negative economic impact on fishing which has been known as one of the major occupation of the Niger Delta communities.

It was said during a process safety seminar held in 2017 organized by the Nigeria Society Of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE) in collaboration with Department Of Petroleum Resources which took place in Lagos that while there has been an increasing trend in the establishment of new facilities in top stream sector of the industry, its downstream sector on the other hand has posed major challenges in process safety and has shown a need for improvement on the subject mater.

Oil spills during production and transportation most times are absorbed, retained, and re-liberated once the rainy season starts, thus aggravating the extent of pollution. In the event of oil spills which are usually gushed over a large area most times during operations, arable crops including cassava, corn, and vegetables; shrubs and highly economically valuable trees like oil palm; fish farms, as well as other valuable assets are destroyed.

Aside from many other threats that have beset communities especially the Niger Delta, pollution of water bodies is a major issue. Oil spills end up in the environment including water, contaminating waterways, imparting a significant detriment to marine life and sources of water for domestic use. Further, discharged oil often sinks into groundwater, contaminating it. Once underground, the polluted water system is transported within and between water systems that end up in wells and streams that supply the surrounding communities. These communities depend on such water resources for their only source of drinking water. Environments Studies indicate that acid rain is widely distributed in the Niger Delta region. On average, a pH value of 5.06 from a range of 4.98–5.15 is usually obtained. To date, water pollution remains one of the major environmental public health problems arising from extensive oil operations in the region. The health of a considerable number of residents has been severely impaired due to surface and underground water contamination. The bane of these devastations is lack of properly implemented Corporate Social Responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is known to be strategies by which corporations conduct their business in a way that is ethical, society friendly and beneficial to stakeholders (staffs, shareholders and community) in terms of development. It is a measure by which corporations are being graded to ensuring their socio-economic contribution, and also to creating/sustaining a high standard of living, while preserving profitability and integrity of people within and outside the system.

Now that it has been observed that the activities of the oil companies have been polluting the water bodies, there is a need for companies to come up with a Water Management Projects that will be designed with the aim of continuous provision of portable water for the entire region. Companies must build Water Management Systems and plants that can recycle and eliminate toxic substances from water. There is a need to also install distribution channels that will make it available at the nearest point to the dwellers of the communities. This kind of project should be a main concern for companies to implement as their CSR project to ease the life for the host communities. Water is essential to life, its absence or contamination is a threat to the live of both plants and animals. Therefore companies must concentrate their effort in operational standards that will protect the water bodies, waterways and hence reduce the harm done on the environment.

Government should be responsible enough not only to establish policies, but also must see to the implementation of stringent regulatory measures that will monitor the discharge of waste to the sewer and environment. They should ensure that companies operating in this region conduct their business in compliance with International Organization for Standardization on Environmental Management.

These companies should also train their staff to be CRS compliance; making them “CSR Ambassadors” so that they will be entrusted with of responsibilities of carrying out operations in a friendly manner bringing community dwellers good health and high standard of living.

By
Dewale A. Adewole

Re-CREATING YOUR WORLD

It’s been some days ago that I have been longing to share this. But my hectic schedule and work hasn’t permitted me.  I had an unusual encountered On Wednesday evening; I started a journey that is transforming me already. I entered the Bodija branch of Love World Ministries close to my office at Osuntokun Avenue, Old Bodija and joined them for the evening service.

My father, Dr Chris Oyakilome was dishing the Word, and radiating out the glory of God as he shared. At the end of his ministration, the entire congregation delved into the realm of The Spirit speaking in other tongues and the environment was vibrating.

Along the line of his ministration, he declared under the power of the Holy Spirit seven days ‘Word Fasting’, this sound strange to me, my thought was that we are to abstain from food as usual; I mean the common fast types. But to my amazement, Word Fast means we will speak over our lives and circumstances for seven days.

For seven days we shall make positive confessions (affirmations) as we desire our world to look like. So the man of God admonished us to get our pad and begin to write our desires and also attach relevant scriptures to them as we are going to be “Re-Creating Our World”. I remembered he said if there is something you are not enjoying or any issues in your life that you don’t like, there is no need to complain, rather use your mouth to create the better you desire.

He used a profound illustration… see this; many people who had ‘Pot Belly’, built their world of stomach with their mouth, this they achieved over time by all sorts of foods and junks they ate and drank through their mouth”. But he said “our mouth is not for food and drink only, but to speak and declare over situations, to pray and to bless”.

One of the nights after I had Re- Created my world; I slept, and later woke up with this mystery in my spirit. The Holy Spirit dropped this scripture into my heart Gen. 2vs1-3 “So the heaven and the earth and everything else were created by the seventh day God finish His workday and so He rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work”. 

I found out from the scripture that all the creation was a product of the Word, except man that came from within Him (God).

Coincidentally on my pad, I managed only to write seven outlines, the seventh space left empty which I later designed to fill it with thanksgiving, praise and worship sessions throughout.

STORIES OR SECRETS which one did you see?

"Wisdom is the principal thing; with all thy getting get understanding”. Sound familiar. Right?

Yes I know; it has become our every day theory, but excuse me answer this simple question.

Which of the “S” did you see always? Stories (letters) or Secrets (mystery)? 

Let’s figure this out together…

"In the land of UZ there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

He had seven sons and three daughters. And he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the east.”

What did you see? The story of a wealthy man, or the mystery for wealth creation

 Jesus said “This is why I speak to them in parables (stories), though seeing, they do not see, though hearing they do not hear or understand.”  So where do you belong?

Many are times we read scripture as if we are reading stories and gossips on Linda Ikeji’s blog or Punch online. We are so enthralled by flow of the stories that we care not about the core message it carries. It is with this same approach many people study their bible. And yet they complain God is not speaking to them. Can God be partial or be a liar? No, I know Him. He still reveals great things to His children via the Word as in the days of Samuel “for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh via the Word”.