PRESS RELEASE
A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has heartily welcome and applaud the Federal Government production of the revised guidelines on Community Developments Agreements, CDAs, in the solid minerals sector.
This would help the country, communities, and people to avoid the harrowing experiences of vicious despoilation, environmental pollution and social degradation that attended the exploration of crude oil in the Niger Delta region if diligently implemented.
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake in conjunction with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, (Centre LSD), Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Ford Foundation organized the launch of the guidelines for the CDAs.
The Minister explained that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that host communities derived maximum benefits from mining operations and activities for local and national economic developments. The group appraise this initiative as policy in the right direction to assure social justice and equity for host communities.
We recognize the imperative for the Government to diversify the national, macro-economic base from it over dependence on a mono-product, the crude oil. The discovery of crude oil has been a mixed blessings for the country.
Right from Isaac Adaka Boro led Niger Delta rebellion for resource control, to the judicial murder of the Ogoni rights environmental protection activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and his co-travelers and the destruction of Odi community, host communities and, their people have often been neglected and abandoned by those who exploit naturally endowed solid minerals in their land.
Multi-National Corporations pay attention only to, crude maximization of profit without corresponding corporate, social responsibilities to the State and communities. The case for compensation of the Niger-Delta over environmental despoilation, by Multi-nationals like Shell, Total are still before international arbitration panel for resolution.
If Nigeria must take the requisite developmental flight, it must effectively utilize all its natural and human resources. Thus, it must diversify its economic base, Agriculture and Solid Minerals sectors are the areas where we may have relative comparative advantages if the right policy frameworks are put in place and faithfully implemented.
We are apt to note that the host communities deserve to be carried along from beginning in this effort. The people, civil society organisations and the media must embed in this CDAs as watchdogs to ensure that parties maintain total fidelity with the dictates of letters and spirits of the Agreements.
This is the viable means to ensure that along the line, the laudable objectives envisaged in the guidelines and community development agreements are not compromised by the corporations and state officials.
E-Signed:
Coalition Of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
