DeltaWomen

January Issue
especially those residing near the coasts. The foeti have the risk of minute contaminants that can mar their growth permanently. It is potent to argue that most of the issues that connect these issues of women and oil-spills are integrated and cannot be treated in isolation. For example; the condition of fishes those breed in these oilspilt areas. In the case of women; oil spills seem to be a major concern when it comes to health of foetus, family-planning behaviour as well as outcomes of birth. Mostly there are cases of degenerating effects on the health of oil-spill workers as well as volunteers which have led independent studies into seafood safety protocols. Some toxicologists are of the view that the combined effects of seafood, contaminated soil on human blood and organs can lead to a series of miscarriages in women and consequently defects at birth. Additionally, there is always the fear of toxins that are air borne. Women can come into contact with this toxicity to various sources like food or water which is easily penetrable even through clothes. Air-borne toxicity can prove harmful even to family members. Researchers are of the view that it stands difficult to relate oil-spill effects directly onto the effects on women. The effects can manifest themselves on women sometimes immediately and sometimes it may take years for any symptoms to manifest themselves completely. But the radar of symptoms that these

The

Newsletter

CEO

Elsie Ijorogu-Reed

Editors

Elsie Ijorogu Reed Kirthi Jayakumar

Contributors
Aishwarya C Obi Madukoma Stephanie Smith

Designer

Mohanad Abdelnabi Newsletter by Deltawomen NGO.

Who thinks of oil spills?

Oil spills are known to be one of the most hazardous of man-made disasters known to us. Probably, a couple of decades earlier we would not bother to address the issues of oil-spills mainly because it would be a matter of least concern for us. However, this is not so today. Oil-spills have become environmental hazards just as nuclear disasters and Tsunamis have caught our attention. One major concern among women has been that for women who are pregnant who have been exposed to these oil-spilt regions,

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women are subjected to is large and daunting.

Just as easy it is for us to play the blame game; it is also true that statistics in the case of oil spills do not lie. Lets take the case of the Gulf of Mexico that estimates an average of 5,000 barrels a day. This kind of statistic is large enough to cover small islets. Usually large scale companies that deal in fossil fuels are responsible directly or indirectly for these mishaps. However the focus here is on governments whose regulation efforts, which unfortunately, are next to nothing. By Aishwarya C The truth is this is a case similar to the famous book by Harper Lee To Kill a Mocking Bird.

Innocent women and unborn children are being subjected to fatal diseases and malignant degrees of health risks for no fault of theirs. The only way to combat such oil-spills is through better government regulations and with the help of citizens who need to spread awareness about what precautions to take if there is a certain population of people who have been exposed to this deadly phenomenon. We need to act, it is never too late!

Heavy oils, on the other hand, are less likely to evaporate in water and can be exceptionally detrimental to aquatic life. Heavy oils are known to injure birds and mammals that come in contact with the contaminated site. Decontaminating areas in which heavy oils have been spilt is also very challenging. Very heavy oils, also known as Group V oils, are capable of hovering and diffusing into water, affecting animals like lobster, which subsist on ocean floors. While Group V oils are not as toxic as the lighter oils, finding and pinpointing these oils is a difficult task (3). Devastating Outcomes of Oil Spills

can also impact the health of those that survive. Oil can modify invertebrate feeding habitats, disrupt their shell development, and cause slow suffocation. Bottom-dwelling invertebrates are especially at risk when oil accumulates at the shore line. Many bottom-dwellers can survive oil contamination; however, they transmit these toxins to their predators, leading to increased concentration of the toxins in higher species. From oil spills, fish can experience impeded growth, respiratory and cardiac malfunction, and stunted larval development. As a result, survival rates for offspring are low. Oil spills can similarly thwart plant development. They can also spur growth of certain algae populations. When oil directly contacts birds, it can get in their feathers, which impedes their abilities to fly. As a result, many birds drown while others die of hypothermia. If oil is ingested, kidney, liver and lung damage often results, usually followed by death. Other side effects include an inability to reproduce, abnormal behaviors, a debilitated immune system, and skin irritability.

The Counter Productive Effects of Oil Spillage in Devastated Regions

Guest Writer Profile: Dr. Anthony Okonkwo hails from Delta State and holds a doctorate degree in International Business and Development Strategies. He is also a graduate of the Paris Business School and has worked in different capacities globally on development matters. A grounded professional whose experience, expertise and international exposure on various issues place him in good stead as a veritable team coordinator to achieve based on time and value. He is the convener of the Nigeria International oil Spill Summit scheduled for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria from April 10, 11 and 12, 2013. Dr. Okonkwo speaks and writes English and French fluently. Oil spill is oil discharged accidentally or intentionally, that floats on the surface of water bodies as a discrete mass and is carried by the wind, currents and tides. Oil spills can be partially controlled by chemical dispersion, combustion, mechanical containment and absorption. They have destructive effects on coastal ecosystems. Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, United Nations, New York, 1997. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, oil spills can be classified into five categories: very light oils, light oils, medium oils, heavy oils and very heavy oils. Very light oils, such as gasoline and jet fuel, are extremely toxic to marine organisms, but evaporate rapidly in water so cleaning spills of this type is unnecessary. Light oils, like diesel, leave a residue in water and have longterm consequences on ocean life. Although light oils have fewer toxins than very light oils, they are still damaging. However, light oil spills can be effectively cleaned. Medium oils, including crude oils like petroleum, do not evaporate quickly. As such, these oils can devastate marine communities residing in intertidal areas, or areas between high and low waters. Medium oils are especially threatening to birds and mammals as they can adhere to their feathers, hair, or fur. Cleaning up medium oils is most successful if done immediately following the spill.

Because oil does not dissolve in water, it undergoes a biological, physical and chemical process called weathering. Weathering degrades oil through natural mechanisms produced by sunlight, tidal waves, water temperature, and bacteria. As a result, some oil spills have short-term consequences, persisting for only weeks. If oil contaminates shallow water, however, the results can be much damaging. In these cases, the oil mixes with mud and other substances and accumulates on the bottom. As a result, the oil can last for decades causing a Humans can also be affected by oil spills. In number of problems for marine life that comes in Ogoni land, Nigeria, for example, the people have dealt with nearly 50 years of oil production contact with the contaminated materials. and water contamination. Many communities In the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill of 2010, are faced with dangerous levels of carcinogens, 4.9 million barrels of crude oil were spilt in the cancer causing agents. In one such community, Gulf of Mexico. According to Time, thousands families are drinking water polluted with benzene, of dead invertebrates like starfish and coral were a type of carcinogen, at a concentration 900 found. Unfortunately, these species play an times that considered to be safe. In other areas essential role in the ecosystems to which they of Ogoni land, nearly eight centimeters of oil belong, thereby impacting many other marine were found on top of the water. This horrific spill populations. Similarly, many dolphin offspring has so far killed tens of thousands of people, were found dead along the Gulf Coast. Oyster as well as livestock, and is predicted to take beds were also devastated by the oil spill; in up to 30 years to reach its former clean state. fact, it could take ten years for the population to Altogether, it will cost approximately $1 billion to rebuild the area. The Shell Oil Company, which reach its former size. was responsible for the spill, has neglected the The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was equally impact this spill has had on the Nigerians. The catastrophic. According to BBC News, the oil most affected are mostly women of the Niger killed over 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, Delta extraction whose fishing and agricultural 250 bald eagles, 300 harbor seals, and 22 killer lives have been terminated and now lost their whales, as well as countless herring and salmon. sources of livelihood. Life expectancy in the In addition to killing many sea dwellers, oil spills region is placed at approximately 40 years. The Nigerian government is putting in place

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regulations at the National Assembly which will make the oil companies own up to their corporate social responsibilities. It has been argued that oil companies frivolously spend money on security instead of catering for the needs of the people like in the provision of portable water, hospitals, schools and electricity, Cleaning Up There are many natural processes that degrade oil, but human efforts are often required to prevent long-term damage to the environment from oil spills. There are four main methods by which an oil spill can be cleaned up: booms, skimmers, chemicals, or burning. Booms are floating devices used to trap, collect, and absorb the oil surrounding it. Skimmers are boats that can remove the oil from the surface of the water. Certain chemicals can be used to break down the oil into its less dangerous components. Lastly burning the oil is also possible, but this is often avoided because it can produce unwanted air pollutants. The effectiveness of the cleanup depends on a number of factors, including tidal waves and weather conditions.

live without oil, we are heavily dependent on it in the modern world. Nevertheless, companies must follow safe protocols. Unlike the Shell Oil Companys failure to comply with this ordinance in Nigeria, companies must be prepared in advance to minimize the negative effects of oil spills on the environment. After the BP oil spill, BP proceeded to strengthen blowout preventers, install emergency systems, have pressure examinations, and increase personnel training. Although programs like these will not eliminate oil spills and leaks, they can at least help reduce the problem. The government also requires tankers to be double-hulled, which decreases the incidence of oil spills. Inspections and maintenance of the tanks can also be performed to reduce oil leaks. More importantly, it is necessary to ensure that the oil companies are made to be bound by their corporate social responsibilities. In Nigeria for instance, majority of the oil spills are as a result of acts of vandalism by the people. It can be argued that the lack of conducive living patterns in the devastated regions impose recklessness on the youths who live in abject squalor.

occur will continue to suffer if the government fails to demand justice. How do we do it? Stiff fines need to be placed and enforced by the Nigerian government to dissuade companies from taking a laissez faire attitude towards the safety of the people in their operations. These companies should also be held accountable for oil spill clean-up associated with their operations in any community.

or substances. Perhaps, local entrepreneurs should be contracted to handle such exercises as it will not only boost job creation and income generation for the local economy, it will also encourage accountability to the local community. Furthermore, biodegradable cleaning agents should be used to avoid more damage than what has already been done by the oil spill. We can do so much more to protect the interests of our Niger Delta communities. We simply need to know our rights, put greed aside, and stand up for what is right.

We need a system in place that will not only clean up, but regularly test the waters for traces of oil spillage, and regularly report to the communities involved so as to avoid public By Obiomachi (Obi) Madukoma health risks from ingesting contaminated foods

Lack of Safety and Security in the Delta Region

Access to firearms for militant groups is a bad idea in general, but the implications for women can be devastating. Some militant groups arose out of the desire to protest the environmental devastation caused by the mass production of oil in the Niger Delta. At the peak of the militant groups attacks on Nigerian forces and oil companies, oil production decreased to 500 000 barrels a day from 2 million according to Digital Journal.com. Others simply came into existence to become protection rackets for oil industries. This latter group has frequently put women in the Delta region in danger, and have had a substantial negative impact on their livelihoods and future. There is no doubt that the production of oil in the Delta region has had a negative impact on womens livelihoods. Any woman in the Delta region who has relied on farming or fishing has been adversely impacted by the oil industry. Oil spills have polluted rivers and made some farm land useless for cultivation. Women who were angered at the disruption to their daily work, and to the environmental degradation to their

Although it is debated whether humans could By Dr. Anthony Okonkwo a man from the Goi community reported that in his community, people were getting sick and were developing respiratory problems as a result of oil pollution. In an interview before the court proceedings, Allard Castelein, Shells VP for environment told the news that the matter had been resolved and therefore did not understand why the case was brought to court. The question then remains, why would a community seek legal recourse if they truly have been compensated?

Crude Oil and the Nation

Since the discovery of oil in Nigeria, the country has transitioned from an agriculture dependent economy to an oil dependent one. Sadly, those who depend on the oil are the ones who least benefit from it. Toward the end of last year, news media reported an oil spill near Exxon Mobils field in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State. The spill was reported to have stretched as far as 20 miles along the shore. Exxon Mobil shut down its plant, however, the poison still flows in the waters, killing animal and plant life, crippling the local economy and posing an enormous public health risk.

farmlands began to protest in the 1990s. According to an article in the Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology, women were being kicked, beaten, or raped by soldiers, i.e. militant groups, during protests in front of oil companies. These soldiers were hired by oil companies like Shell or Chevron to keep the peace in their area. The Wall Street Journal reported that Dokubo-Asaris, a militant group leader was paid $9 million a year for his former 4,000 foot soldiers, to protect oil companies from harassment from militant groups and protesters. The low literacy rate for women in the Delta region can be linked to the increase in illegal semiautomatic weapons and thereby an increase in militant groups. A report commissioned by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation from Nigeria states that 7 out of 10 million illegal weapons in West Africa are in Nigeria. In addition, a 2011 Human Rights Watch survey that gun violence has caused more than 16 000 deaths since 1999 in Nigeria. With constant threats of death and sexual abuse in the region, it is no wonder that parents keep their female children at home instead of sending them to school.

Human rights abuses are not limited to rape and child slavery, among other atrocities. Human rights abuses also include stripping communities of their means of livelihood and doing nothing to fix it. Last year, BP agreed to pay $4.5 billion in penalties for the nearly 5 million barrel oil spill In October 2012, Shell was sued to court for oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Why should Nigeria be pollution in the Niger Delta. One of the plaintiffs, any different? Communities where the spills

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These actions are dis-empowering women in the Delta Region. Low literacy rates make it so women cannot access the networks of resources available to them to help them build their own business, and take care of their own, and their childrens health. The constant disruption to their work has limited their income, and is keeping women impoverished. Although there has been numerous government initiatives

aimed at dismantling the illegal gun trade and limited the power of militant groups the results have been less than promising. Harsher and stronger enforcement of the laws needs to happen from the government, or women will continue to have a bleak outlook for their and their female childrens future in the Delta Region.

NO WOMAN LEFT BEHIND

Delta Women entered a partnership with the Igbanke National Progressive Association (INPA) for its free eye exam and glasses distribution that took place at Igbanke, Edo State, on 29th December, 2012. Our Sponsors donated 466 glasses. In Igbanke, a total number of one hundred and sixty one (161) persons (male and female) were examined, screened, ninety six (96) prescription glasses given out for free after Deltawomens Optometrist test, while some patients were refered accordingly.

By Stephanie Smith

WELCOME, NEW VOLUNTEERS

Deltawomen welcomes 10 new volunteers, who join our team this month to work on our various projects.

Campaign Round Up
Delta Women entered a partnership with the Igbanke National Progressive Association (INPA) for its free eye exam and glasses distribution that took place at Igbanke, Edo State, on 29th December, 2012. Our Sponsors donated 466 glasses. In Igbanke, a total number of one hundred and sixty one (161) persons (male and female) were examined, screened, ninety six (96) prescription glasses given out for free after Deltawomens Optometrist test, while some patients were refered accordingly.

Delta Women is happy to announce that it has now appointed Christopher Ogba Ughojor as one of our Project Officer in Nigeria. He will represent Delta Women in some of our many events. I ask you to join me in welcoming Christopher!

WELCOME CHRISTOPHER!

Deltawomen serves:
To initiate policy changes to maximize opportunities and equality for women. To associate with other women related NGOs whose visions and services are at the centre of public attention and forwomen benefit. To build the capacity of women to escape poverty and deprivation through selfsustaining by empowerment and education.

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