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Bayelsa Seeks $12bn to Fix Hydrocarbon Exploration Catastrophes 

By Moses Patience Chat 

The Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) has recommended that an investment of $12 billion be made for 12 years in order to fix the disastrous effects of oil and gas exploration on the environment, and on the health of the people of the State.

This was made known in the Commission’s May report, where it was stated that for over 60 years, International Oil Companies and the Federal Government have hurriedly extracted billions of barrels of crude oil from the Niger Delta with little regards for the consequences and catastrophic outcomes.

The BSOEC was set up in 2019 by the Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake, to conduct extensive investigation and research in order to establish the environmental, human, and economic impact of oil pollution on the State. It is chaired by a number of renowned dignitaries in the governance and international development area, including Baroness Valerie Amos, Former Ghanaian President, John Kuffuor, and many others.

The report reads: “The Commission recommends concerted international actions to generate and invest at least $12 billion over the course of 12 years to repair, remediate and restore the environmental and public health damage caused by oil and gas and to lay the foundations for Bayelsa’s just transition towards renewable energy and opportunities for alternative livelihoods.”

According to the Commission, as a result of the exploratory activities of the oil companies, thousands of oil spills, unrestricted gas flaring, and frequent releases of toxic contaminants have poisoned the air, water, and farmlands in communities in Bayelsa State.

In the report, the Commission identified the causes of some environmental problems including a failed regulatory regime, flawed legal framework and weak access to justice, insufficient role played by State Governments, and lack of international scrutiny.

BSOEC gave series of recommendations, including a comprehensive Bayelsa clean-up and recovery plan, a Bayelsa recovery fund, a Bayelsa recovery agency, a new compensation scheme for affected communities, fundamental reform of the regulatory regime and the introduction of a new legal framework as well as new dispute resolution procedures.

Other recommendations are enshrining an enhanced role for State Governments, strengthening the scrutiny of IOCs behavior both internationally and in their home jurisdictions, overhaul IOCs approaches to community engagement to ensure transparency, accountability, and voice; and establishing a legally binding, effective legacy and decommissioning regime.

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