Response to Eni S Comments of 8 July 2011

Stephen Yeboah’s rejoinder re “Niger Delta community to sue Agip Oil Company for unfair treatment”, Stephen Yeboah, Ghana Business News, 29 May 2011

[DOC] eni response re alleged unfair treatment by eni, including deaths , eni, 08 Jul 2011

Response to eni’s comments of 8 July 2011

6 Oct 2011

“It is surprising the Italian oil giant has stated they have consolidated relationships and agreements with the Etiama Community in order to properly address and manage the various issues raised over the past years when according to the people Eni has not set foot to the community since 1971.

The credibility of the story remains strong and as such cannot be disputed. This was a delegation of Ghanaian journalists and media practitioners and representatives of non-governmental organizations in Nigeria including Revenue Watch Institute. The people of Etiema voiced out their sentiments and agitations as against the operations of Eni in an interview.

Eni started building a primary school [left it uncompleted] and it took the efforts of the local community to bring the structure to completion. Eni has not fulfilled promises they gave to the community.

According to the oil company, in May 2000, when an accident and subsequent fire occurred due to sabotage on the 24” Ogoda – Brass pipeline , the following agreements were signed between the Etiama Community and NAOC:

 An agreement to gain access to repair the damaged pipeline following which the clean up and remediation was completed.  An Agreement for Infrastructure Investment and Development  An Agreement for the establishment of an Educational Trust Fund  An agreement to implement the following developmental projects:

 Provision of boats  Completion of a water borehole in Etiama Community  Construction of the Etiama - Otatubo Road  Construction of the bridge across the pipelines

The worthy question to pose is that how many of these development projects have been undertaken. Their listed development projects have not come into reality at least for the people of Etiema.

Boats were not provided, there are broken boreholes, amount of 5 million Naira promised for the past ten years has been a mirage and there is no viable corporate social responsibility.

With justice being realized in communities that experience long periods of injustice in the hands of Shell, there will surely be justice for people of Etiema.

I would from this end admonish Eni to purposely make community development of their operations their priority. When the impacts of your operation contributed to the death of 20 young people and several oil spillages, Eni ought to act responsibly by extending the benefits of development to them. It is totally unacceptable to leave the community in their poor state and even make them more vulnerable while they (Eni) make golden profits. On grounds, there is no local collaboration and consensus. The people are aggrieved and they need redress.

Oil is a vital natural resource that should engender economic development and poverty reduction.”