Rights activists advocate Voluntary Principles for extractive industry

Rights advocates in Nigeria have moved for the adoption of Voluntary Principles (VPs) on security and human rights by the Nigeria government and multinational companies operating within the country as a way of ending the obviously overwhelming crisis in the extractive industry in the country.

At a recent workshop, Global Rights in partnership with other NGOs advocated  for this adoption noting that as a set of non-binding principles, VPs are created to assist extractive companies to balance security concerns with human rights.

They further observed that countries that have signed onto voluntary principles, have recorded positive changes in resolving the crisis in their extractive industry include Colombia and Peru.

VPs were launched in 2000 and are a tripartite multi-stakeholder initiative.  Participants include eight countries, states, 12 NGOs, 21 multinational companies and five organizations with observer status.

They were developed in response to reports of human rights abuses allegedly committed by security providers contracted by the extractive industry.  The principles apply to interactions with both public and private security forces.  They are voluntary, but several companies, both participants and non-participants, have incorporated the VPs into their management systems and agreements with contractors.

Provisions in voluntary principles include: Regular consultations between companies and host governments and local communities; issues of proportionality and use of force; improved company engagement for protection of human rights by their security contractors; monitoring of progress of investigations into alleged abuses; inclusion of appropriate provisions in contracts and review of the background of private security that companies intend to employ.

According to Wanda Oluka of Alliance for Africa, the federal government’s fiscal policies and laws, such as the Petroleum Act, Land Use Act which vests the ownership of lands on governments has contributed in no small measure to fueling the crisis in extractive industry in the country. He said the federal government by the aforementioned acts holds all mineral rights and is responsible for issuing exploration and development licenses; whereas, there is no government presence in the region.

In the same vein, Catherine Adewojo of Boabab for Women’s Right and Collins Okeke of HURILAWS are of the view that the crisis in extractive industry in Nigeria is made worse by the lack of governance in the affected areas and overzealousness of the security personnel put in place by government and multinational companies operating in the extractive industry in Nigeria.

Another participant at Global Rights workshop, Megan Chapman noted that human rights records of the security operatives in extractive industry especially the Niger Delta region is nothing to write home about. According to her, the security operatives rape women in the region and unjustly kill the people which she said has brewed so much distrust and apathy in the minds of the people in the communities.

Similar position was muted by Nora Okoroafor of Partnership for Justice, when she said people of the area apart from human rights abuses have health issues including breathing problems and skin lesions; as a result of oil exploration. She said many people leaving close to where exploration and extraction take place are denied their basic livelihood including, access to food, clean water, and an ability to work.