A non-governmental group, Community Policing Partners for Justice and Democratic Reforms, has called on the Federal government to, as a member of the United Nations, sign on to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
The move, according to the group, would reduce the risks of conflicts and provide practical guidelines on risks management by ensuring that extractive companies operating in Nigeria respects human rights at international, national or project level.
Speaking with our correspondent in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on Tuesday, its Executive Director, Saviour Akpan, says the country stands to benefit enormously by way of contributing to peace building and attainment of peaceful co-existence with host communities as well as enhance its capacity to obey domestic and international human rights laws.
His words: “The Voluntary Principle is a multi-stakeholders frame work that will help signatories to spell out the relationship between the extractive companies and their host communities.
‘’And if you look at the resource cost, the petroleum we are having is supposed to better our lives but it bringings deaths, conflicts and harm to us; that is what it I called resource cost.
‘’This has been as a result of poor community/company relationship. There is no well established grievance-solving mechanism that will encourage communities to now go to the companies if there is a problem.’’
Akpan, who explained that his organisation is working, amongst other things, to reduce the level of conflicts arising between extractive industries and their host communities, said there has been tremendous response from the communities.
‘’So far, the little we have been able to do, the communities have been responding positively; they are very much willing to partner with the organisation. In fact, they are telling us to urge government to sign on to the Voluntary Principle on Security and Human Rights.”
He said the Voluntary Principle is talking about companies setting up grievances mechanism that would enable community members defend their case and the matter would be looked into immediately.
