Page:Niger Delta Ecosystems- the ERA Handbook, 1998.djvu/236

Human Ecosystems: Okoroba-Nembe *The dredging work undertaken was confined to the widening and straightening of the existing creek access to the well location, but a new channel needed to be dredged in the vicinity of Okoroba village itself, where the natural creek thinned considerably. Full compensation was agreed and paid to the community for the land lost as a result of the channel widening, and damaged from dredge spoil (e.g. Attachment 1) Okoroba Village and Creek: View from West (Okoroba-1 well location), 29/6/96 Okoroba Village and Creek: View from South, 29/6/96 Okoroba Village and Creek: Viewed from East toward Village Well location, 29/6/96 234
 * The dredging operations were preceded by a baseline environmental study, and post-impact assessment, sensing local community opinions and making extensive use of consultancy services of the University of Port Harcourt. It was agreed that the natural creek, which had been blocked by dredging spoil in the vicinity of the well slot (figure 1) should be re-opened to allow movement of tidal water with its associated salinity changes. Due to funding constraints, this operation was delayed until 1996.
 * Prior to the award of the contract for this operation, SPDC representatives visited the community to consult with them on the scope of the work involved (see e.g. Attachment 2). During one of these meetings (Attachment 3), the community requested for extra dredging work to be done to ease access to and around the village, and promised to indemnify SPDC for any damage done as a consequence of this additional work (Attachment 4, and see figures 2,3 and 4).
 * At the same meeting one of the local chiefs claimed that his family owned some of the land in the vicinity of Okoroba-1, and would not give permission for dredging in this area to be performed until the matter of title was resolved. The title to this land was disputed by SPDC, who expected the Chief involved to visit Port Harcourt, where the relevant documents and maps establishing SPDC title would be displayed. However, the Okoroba Council of Chiefs overruled this visit and mandated that the work should be continued according to the revised scope of work (Attachments 5 and 6).
 * The dredging operations were conducted as planned, but some farm crops, planted on SPDC acquired land, were damaged as a result of this activity. Notwithstanding this legal standpoint, SPDC did indemnify families for this type of damage (see e.g. Attachment 7). Concern from the community on whether or not this compensation would indeed be paid led to prevention of the contractor demobilising his equipment for a period of five days, and required an additional exgratia payment to be made to secure the release of the equipment (on 6th June 1996).
 * Attachments
 * 1) Compensation receipt for 1990 dredging, 15/7/92
 * 2) Minutes of Meeting, SPDC and Okoroba Community, 17/4/96
 * 3) Minutes of Meeting, SPDC and Okoroba Council of Chiefs 23/5/96
 * 4) Request for Additional Work from Okoroba Council of Chiefs, 24/05/96
 * 5) Resolution of Okoroba Council of Chiefs, 26/05/96
 * 6) Memo from Willbros to SPDC concerning disputed land, 27/05/96
 * 7) Example Indemnity Payment, 06/6/96
 * Figures (aerial photographs)