Delayed compensation is as good as nothing-EACOP PAPs cry out over devastation of their land

Friday, June 20th, 2025 | By

Persons affected by the oil pipeline have condemned delayed compensation process that has kept them waiting for long. They say delayed compensation for their land and property is as good as nothing.

Annet Kasolo a resident of Kabaale village in Kabaale parish in Buseruka Sub County in Hoima district says that due to the delayed compensation, the residents have faced challenges with their spouses who cannot stand the poverty they go through.

According to Kasolo areas affected by the pipeline are areas occupied by predominantly rural poor and that the livelihoods of most families impacted by EACOP are land based, with households growing crops and economic trees for their own subsistence consumption and income generation.

She says the delays in compensation and the farming limitations initially communicated impacted households requiring them to only grow seasonal crops.

“The communication to community members affected by the EACOP to stop usage of their land was not received timely and thus had negative consequences, especially on us who depend on our land for survival”, she said.

“In 2019 we were told that compensation would happen in a short-while and therefore advised to grow only short-term crops that we would be harvested in not more than 6months,” Kasolo narrated.

This trend of events culminates into the current effects are hunger, loss of income, and perhaps resulting into total livelihoods disruptions for many of the families and people impacted by EACOP.

Kasolo claims that the assessment indicated that land  was considered was bare/ plain of any crops yet in actual sense it had various cash crops including coffee, cocoa, mangoes, and others which all missed out on the assessment forms.

Rajab Bwengye, the coordinator of projects and Manager of Community Green radio – NAPE said that NAPE will continue guiding and empowering the PAPs on all injustices like delayed compensation noting that even in countries like Nigeria, Oil pipelines have caused massive suffering singling out OGONI LAND in Rivers State –Port Harcourt city Nigeria where all arable land and water bodies have been devastated by Oil pipelines.

Organizations like Amnesty International and Minority Rights Group have highlighted the devastation and called for international attention and action to address the situation. The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has also been a vocal advocate for the rights of the Ogoni people and environmental justice. 

Raising international concern, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) conducted a major assessment of the environmental situation in Ogoniland, further emphasizing the severity of the problem. The assessment involved detailed investigations of soil and groundwater contamination at numerous sites, highlighting the wide-ranging impact brought about by nearly 50 years of oil and gas exploration in the land of the Ogoni people.