Oil and gas companies operating in the Albertine
Graben have been urged to incorporate HIV/AIDs sensitization in their social
corporate responsibility programs.
The call was made by the Chairperson of the
Petroleum Authority’s Board, Jane Nambakire Mulemwa noting that while oil companies
have done well in their Corporate Social Responsibility programs in health,
education, and agriculture, there is little or no awareness about HIV in the Districts
of Hoima, Buliisa, Nwoya, Kikuube and generally the Albertine Graben
. “We have the challenge and importance of us
consistently providing information, guidance and support about HIV. Because within
that region, we have all the factors that can fuel the spread of HIV,” she sai
d ///Cue In “You have people….
Cue Out…. Are evidence of what can happen”///
Some of the leaders in those regions have complained
about the influx of people seeking employment in the oil and gas sector. In
Hoima, there have been reports indicating a surge in the number of commercial
sex workers.
And the fear of an increase in HIV prevalence has come up.
Nightlife in Hoima has particularly changed with several
lodges and bars targeting oil workers. Reports about child prostitution have
also come up.
Engineer Mulemwa, one of the founders of the AIDS
Support Organization (TASO) while officiating at the closing of the 4th Annual
National Content Conference 2023 took advantage of the occasion to sound an
alarm about the need for mass awareness about HIV/AIDS in the Albertine.
When one visits some of the camps housing the
workers in oil fields messages against HIV/AIDs and gender-based violence are displayed.
Mulemwa suggests that similar initiatives should be extended to communities
near those camps and beyond.
Some studies conducted outside Uganda indicate that
in most of sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS is driven by endemic structural
problems such as unemployment, poverty, forced migration, sexual exploitation,
and concurrent sexual partnerships.
In the oil-rich Niger Delta of Nigeria, the epidemic
is said to have been exacerbated by recurring regional conflict and negative
environmental externalities resulting from 50 years of oil exploration.
Meanwhile, Mulemwa defended the Petroleum Authority and
her board over concerns about too many tough restrictions on quality among others.
She insists that those restrictions were necessary if the industry is to
proceed as designed.
/// Cue In" You can not have
Cue Out.....everybody complies with"///
Some of the players in the oil and gas sector have
been urging the Authority to reconsider some of the restrictions. There have been
complaints that some contractors were not adhering to the labor laws and issues
related to worker’s welfare. Employees have complained of long working hours
without rest.
On Wednesday, Philippe Groueix, the Chair of
TotalEnergies in Uganda and General Manager of TotalEnergies EP Uganda warned
the subcontractors to adhere to the country’s labor laws.
“We will be very vigilant on that during the coming
months. That all the workers of the contractors are fulfilling the requirements
of the labor law,” he said.
//// Cue In “We have seen a few cases
Cue Out..all the laws and regulations of the country
“///
Apart from the labor law, all contractors are required
to adhere to the health and safety requirements of the industry. Recently PAU suspended
work at CNOOC’s Kingfisher project following reports about accidents at the
sites.
