Michael Watts is on the board of the International Committee of Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, BSOEC. He is a 1963 Professor of Geography and Development Studies at the University of California Berkeley United States. He received his PhD in 1979 from the University of Michigan on his work on Agrarian Change and Politics in Northern Nigeria.
The priority of projects in Bayelsa State is set by 14 GMoU clusters. But Watts is not impressed because “The whole process of compensation is central to all the disagreements any of the communities have with the oil companies. They all have complained about the Joint Investigations processes. For example, they did not understand first of all the way in which compensation was calculated.”
The professor Emeritus, who spoke to THISDAY after the tour of the areas and meetings with the communities, stated: “It is obvious that the communities are not involved. They are not. There is a new GMoU system called the Cluster Group and that system was actually abandoned. What was in place before was the role of the Community Liaison officers. Now, there is no channel between the community and the oil Companies. So, there is participation by certain people or a select group of people.
“The area affected by that spill was 3,172 square meters. But it took Agip more than nine months to award the clean-up contract despite several calls and letters to the company. In fact, Agip is the Lord of the Manor here. Whatever it decides stands. Ayawei Egbaboyefa of Koluama clan said: “Koluama is one of the worse hit with explosion and oil spill that were internationally recognized. On January 17, 1980, under a company called Texaco Overseas Nigeria Limited, Koluama community recorded an oil spill. But most notably was that of January 2012 when a massive gas explosion occurred, the fire lasted for 49 days and until now nothing has been done to alleviate the plight of those affected by it.
The Archbishop of York and Chairman of the International Committee BSOEC, John Setanmu said: “In fact, for me and the Commissioners, we are more determined to address the issues. In fact, we are not dealing with the question of oil spillage, that’s true, gas flaring that’s true, air pollution, that is true. But actually, what we are dealing with are the Bayelsa people who have been treated in such a bad way. I don’t know, I don’t have the words to describe.
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