The power, politics and poverty of oil exploration

‘Oil Cemetry’ tells the story of Rita, a fragile young girl whose father was a victim of an oil company which set up business in a community which the author described as ‘untouched by any form of civilization’. As the author put it: ‘’Oblivious of what lies beneath their land, the people of Ubolu are […]

‘Oil Cemetry’ tells the story of Rita, a fragile young girl whose father was a victim of an oil company which set up business in a community which the author described as ‘untouched by any form of civilization’.
As the author put it: ‘’Oblivious of what lies beneath their land, the people of Ubolu are happy with their life, living it as they choose to, and resisting intrusions with all the force they can muster’’.
Unfortunately for the people of this unspoilt environment, the discovery of the proverbial golden goose under their soil brought along with it tears, sorrow and death, which expectedly led to a sudden and violent revolution which briefly disorganized the entire community, but eventually brought back the much-needed sanity and progress to the people.
‘Oil cemetery’ is a moving story of the poor, who have said no to oppression as they seek a solution to end the suffering and deaths brought by oil excavation. And although the theme of the book is a familiar one, the author succeeded in telling her story in a refreshing way using her huge unique literary talent to transform the chaos of trauma and suffering into a glowing work of art.
One recurring trick of multinational oil companies that has been aptly captured in many literatures, which is their ploy of financially inducing community leaders against communities, also came to the fore in the book.
According to the author, ‘’As Jefferson updated them on the laying of pipes at Ubolu and Isioye, the men listened attentively without interruption. The area is very quiet, the local people are complacent, and there is nothing to worry about, Jefferson concluded. I am not sure about that, a voice warned. I am apprehensive about some of these tribal villagers. Some of them understand the situation to our detriment. It was the voice of Smith, an Englishman with Hispanic features and wavy greying hair. A young man known as Bill expressed surprise at Mr. Smith’s comment. I can’t really see what you are getting at. These Negro people are quite ignorant. We have been in the Niger Delta for some years now; all you need do is to get a smart guy, one of their types and give him money to share with their local chiefs. Then you’re on.”
With the above, May Nwoye sets the tone for a literary adventure where money, sex, kidnapping, fetish practices, blackmail and even murder play significant roles. Part entertaining and part educative, ‘Oil Cemetery’ is another addition to the growing literature on the political and environmental tragedy of oil exploration in Nigeria, as well as on conflict resolution.
Although community leaders are notorious for collecting bribes from oil companies, the youths of the Ubolo community are equally guilty of this grave offence, as could be gleaned from an incident in the story:
“When Dan eventually collected the contribution made by his partners, he removed his own contribution from the lot, reducing the money from one million naira to eight hundred thousand naira. He proceeded to the tree under which some of these troublesome youths gathered regularly. He knew their faces because he was the driver of the Peugeot they stoned. He approached the youths in a very friendly way, expressing hope in the future of those youths. He assured them that he had enlisted some of his friends to assist in any way they could.  At the end of his short sermon, seeing the number and how wretched they were, Dan decided to give them two hundred thousand naira and pocket the rest of the money.  He gave them a pep talk about maintaining peace in the community, after which he left the scene.
Many of the youths went agog with excitement, but one of them, a fellow named Jude, kept asking, ‘why are you people so excited? Where did you think this money came from?’ ‘It doesn’t matter, another youth’, Nkere retorted. ‘Have we seen this amount of money before? Why we are still hanging out under this tree, let’s divide it up and be on our way. A bird at hand is worth ten in the bush.’ Jude shook his head firmly, ‘Have you not heard? These men, this Daniels and some others, collected millions from America to repair all they damaged in our community.  They have all the money, dollars! I am talking about dollars, and they are giving you two hundred thousand naira – a pittance – and you are jumping for joy.’ ‘Fine, let’s divide this first and then ask them for more,’ said Nkere. ‘The dollar you are talking about, none of us has ever seen it. Even if I see it, I wouldn’t recognise it.’ Suddenly he broke into song.

Naira I know ooo
Naira I know
Give me my share ooo
Na so e bee’

And in spite of their wealth, hard stance, underhand tactics and a condescending opinion of the natives, the white men from the oil company are beaten hands down by the women of the community who organise a massive demonstration when it seems as if their men had developed cold feet. As the author put it, “There was an ominous sense of urgency in the atmosphere at the emergency meeting of all the oil companies in the zone, summoned by Zebulon Oil Company Chief Executive, Mr. Jefferson. All the participants arrived on time, considering the enormity of the matter at hand.  They deliberated extensively, discussing the events that had transpired in recent months until they narrowed the trouble does to the immediate – the female takeover. Believe me, colleagues, said Mr. Hardcast, I can face any challenge but I have never been confronted by a toothless naked woman. You said it, agreed John Wiskey, the head of Sizzle Oil Company.  They call me a womanizer but for the first in my life I saw a woman and ran away. Everyone laughed’’
Though, literature has been regarded as a mirror of the society, nowhere else is this so apt as on the issue of oil exploration and its tragedies.
In the conclusion to his highly seminal paper, ‘Environmental Conflicts: The Case Of The Niger Delta’, Akpobibo Onduku had this to say, ‘’In view of the dramatic worsening of the environment of the Niger Delta, genuine peace effort in the Niger Delta can be achieved by participation, equitable distribution of resources, appropriate development, transparency and environmental sustainability. Therefore, all the stakeholders should forget about the past and lay a solid foundation for the future by embracing options for positive peace which revolves around addressing the issues of poverty, environmental devastation, political, economic and social injustice, low level of literacy and unemployment”.
 In a move that seems to agree with Akpobibo Onduku, May Nwoye concluded this riveting work of art with a touch of conflict resolution when after all the sufferings, tears and deaths, a peace meeting took place between the oil company and representatives of the community with a resultant happy ending.
 As the author puts it, ‘’The Ubolo community was back to normal and it was better than it had ever been.  The men had learned to accept their women as valuable partners.  The women had learned how to exercise power in their communities. The oil companies had learned how to cooperate with the indigenous people of the lands they explore and they had provided the funding for schools, hospitals and other essential services.”
 ‘Oil Cemetery’, despite its scary title, is an unforgettable story of human suffering, misery and survival at all costs. With every page alive and full of surprising turn of events, May Nwoye has succeeded in using her immense literary skills, as well as some of her native Igbo mythology, proverbs and humour to conjure up an interesting account of the seemingly intractable oil exploration problem. By so doing, she has produced a work that advocates for dialogue between oil companies and their host communities in finding solutions to the challenges of oil exploration.
In addition, she has also encouraged young writers to write more on the issue of the environment and so sustain the pressure of the Niger Delta advocacy through literature.