Prosecute Oil Companies Violating
Regulatory Laws in Nigeria
Calling on the Anti-Graft agencies, The Attorney-General of the Federation and the Presidency to prosecute Oil & Gas Organizations operating illegally and costing the nation environmental and socio-economic damages.
Some international largest independent oil traders are doing business illegally in Nigeria and this is not only affecting the livelihoods of marginalised communities where these illegal operations are holding but also costing the Nigerian government huge sums in unreturned taxes.
These organisations are generally less visible, making it difficult to track them and hold them accountable, especially for companies that are not publicly listed, and are therefore not bound by the same transparency rules as stock listed companies. Many of these companies often escape scrutiny, and operate ‘behind the scenes’, mostly through joint ventures and partnerships with other companies. These players operate in an unaccountable manner, abuse human rights, partake in illicit financial flows and exploit the fragility phenomenon in many oil producing communities. These players operate in an unaccountable manner, abuse human rights, partake in illicit financial flows and exploit the fragility phenomenon in many oil producing communities.
The extraction of crude oil has frequently been associated with human rights violations and environmental damage. This situation has put the focus of attention on oil producers rather than on oil traders. However, oil traders can also become associated with adverse human rights impact in many different ways. First, this can occur when buying oil produced in conditions adverse to human rights. Furthermore, oil traders might more directly cause adverse human rights impacts in the transportation, storing, transforming and selling phases of their trading operations. Unsafe road transportation, unfair labour standards, careless storage of products leading to oil contamination of surrounding land, abuses of public/private security forces infringing on worker’s rights, unsafe working conditions in the refineries, forced resettlement of communities to build transforming facilities can all occur in these phases. Similarly, the selling of products whose improper transformation or use might contribute to serious health problems, can lead a commodity trader to cause adverse human rights impacts.
“
By signing this petition, you are joining thousands of citizens who are urging the Government of Nigeria to investigate and prosecute Oil companies violating regulatory laws in the Oil and Gas sector.