By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu has warned multinational companies operating in the various host communities in the country against carrying out projects that are not of meaningful impactful on the lives of the people.
He gave the warning in Benin during the public presentation and launching of “The community-based research report on human rights violation in the palm oil supply chain in Edo State, an event put together by the African Law Foundation (AFRILAW).
Mr. Ojukwu, represented by the deputy director legal, NHRC, Mrs.Pwqdumi Okoh, said the era where multinational companies go to their host communities, acquire all their farm lands without adequately involving them with the view of stating their demands, is far gone adding that the federal government is working assiduously to end it.
“You know, one of the things we want to also bring to the fore in the course of this event is the fact that the government, the National Human Rights Commission in collaboration with other stakeholders have developed a document called the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
“And that document is supposed to help businesses mainstream human rights in their operation. You know, it’s good that people have CSR, corporate social responsibility, government or businesses carry out corporate social responsibility but we want to say, go beyond corporate social responsibility that we feel it looks like a tokenism.
“Beautiful decoration that you want to do outside, we want to handle the major issues of mainstreaming human rights into your operation. That even when you want to start up a business, you begin to ask yourself, what’s the need of these people? What do they need? Not what you feel they need. You know, because that’s where the violation of their right to self-determination comes in.
“You know, when you begin to do tokenism, you begin to dash them what you feel they will require. You go build road, you take care of school. That’s fine. But let’s go beyond calling them together and including them. Even in that decision you’re trying to make.
“Even if it’s going to benefit them, but let them be part of that decision. Let them be part of the discussion of what you’re going to give them. You know, because it is in the process of that, you’ll be able to enforce, you know, give expression to their socio-economic right”, Ojukwu said.
Speaking also at the launching of the programme, the researcher of “the community-based research report on human rights violation in the palm oil supply chain in Edo State”, Dr. Uyi Ojo said the aggressive tendencies for multinational companies to acquire farm lands for their palm oil plantations have made farmers to be short of places to cultivate their crops, thereby leading to hunger and starvation in most communities.
He blamed these multinational companies of using the military and other security agencies to intimidate their host communities.
Ojo further advised that, for the companies to get it right, there must be a mechanism put in place to always address issues of conflicts whenever they arise to avoid them snowballing into a major crisis.
On the part of the founder and Chief Executive Officer, AFRILAW, Okereke Chinwike, he appealed to the government at levels to ensure the protection of oil palm host communities and address the spate of kidnapping and violence in such areas.
He further tasked the governments to ensure that communities’ rights and privileges are respected in land deals with oil palm companies to avoid human rights violations.
