Lorine Emenike
A Civil Society Organisation has condemned the heightening insecurity in the Niger Delta region despite two decades of civilian rule.
Dr. Isaac Osuaka, director of Social Development Integrated Center, also known as Social Action, a Rivers State-based Civil Society organization during a one-day conference in Port Harcourt, with the theme: Petroleum and Communities in Niger Delta: Setting the Policy Agenda Following Two Decades of Civil Rule, said the rate of insecurity along the East-West road is alarming.
The event was well attended by State actors, traditional rulers, representatives of oil host communities in Niger Delta and the media.
According to him: “As the theme of our conference suggests, it is essential to review the impact of the democratic transition on the environment, human rights and the crisis in the Niger Delta region.
“It seems that twenty (20) years after the restoration of civilian rule in this country, we are witnessing unfortunately worsened human security condition, especially in the Niger Delta region.
“When a country, irrespective of the political system in operation fails to protect the rights, livelihood and security of it’s citizens then, we have a crisis.
“What do we do to address the manifestation of the crisis in Nigeria as it affects us today, particularly in the sights of petroleum exploitation in the Niger Delta region?”
He added ” twenty years ago as Nigeria was transitioning from military dictatorship to democracy, there were expectations that the new administration, a different type of government will address the crisis. The environmental and human rights crisis in the Niger Delta region.
“The members of communities in particular that have borne the negative impacts of petroleum extraction hoped for some change, and this is because for many decades the oil companies operating in the area have historically operated recklessly.
“They have spilt crude oil, the companies have flared natural gas more than in any country in the world and the result of the pollution is that the livelihood of the people which depends on fishing and farming have been destroyed or severely degraded. So much disease and death because of contamination as a result of oil spills and pollution ”
“We note that following the general election of 1999, that is twenty years ago, community members and others expected robust changes in government and company practices to protect the environment, health, livelihood and other human rights.
“However, we find the old problems have persisted while new challenges emerged. For example, twenty years ago we didn’t have the problem of artisanal refineries. Today we have a reality that in Port Harcourt and every other part of Rivers State, the main centre of the Nigeria oil industry, people are forced to live with black soothes contamination. What it means is that the situation may have gotten worst, the environmental crisis in Niger Delta may have gotten worst despite the change in government”
Also, Genevieve Talbot, the representative of Development and Peace organization, one of the facilitators of the conference commended Social Action for organizing the conference.
She said that the conference brings policymakers and the community people together to have discussions in order to have real impacts on the lives of people and in order to bring back their dignity.
Talbot said her organization, Development and Peace program in Nigeria is built around three main themes, which are:
1. Democratization and citizens’ participation.
2. Peace and reconciliation.
3. Ecological justice.
She said Development and Peace have been supporting for over fifty years partners, like Social Action that are promoting alternatives, unfair social, political and economic structure.
“The demand for a livelihood that was called for, like the Umuechem community people and the Ogoni people can be the impact of a political, social and economic structure are fighting against something big and we are here with you”
” I am confident that the conference today is a step in the right direction, for the right decision to be taken for the dignity of the people. So many damages happened in the past, justice has to be sought in order to bring back peace in the communities and ecological justice. Damage has been done, the damage is being done on the environment which has impacted negatively on your health’s. Hopefully today, we will be able to change the cause of things”
On his part, Dr. Emmanuel Urang who represented the Rivers State Commissioner for environment, Prof. Roslyn Konya who was unavoidably absent at the conference said, “the issue of oil production and its consequences in Niger Delta is not new to us(Niger Deltans), the oil companies and it is also not new to the federal government that controls the resources”
” What is new to us is the emergence of black soot since 2016. Preliminary Investigation by the state ministry of environment showed that the sources of this soothes are petrochemicals, fertilizer companies, artisanal refineries or what we call illegal refineries, burning of tyres, setting ablaze of petroleum products that were seized by security agencies, they are all man-made”
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to us that, in as much as the oil companies are not doing what they are expected to do, we should also help ourselves by preserving our environment from self-destruction of our environment. Ministry of environment is more concerned with the preservation of the environment. If the environment is destroyed, we will have no other place to run to. We should also desist from oil theft. Because, when you go and steal the oil, there is the tendency that the oil will spill and our environment will be polluted and destroyed. Let us preserve what we have, and let us also know that there is no oil company that can develop us, we can only develop ourselves”
On her part, the chairperson of the event, Professor Julie N. E. Umukoro condemned the devastation of lands, Rivers, streams and seas in the Niger Delta region. She said ” The issue of pollution and the issue of how it has devastated our farmlands and how it has taken food from our table and has taken over our occupation of fishing and farming, is disturbing, it is life-threatening because without our occupation, we are done for”
Professor Julie used the medium to call on all the leaderships of the Niger Delta region to step up the welfarism of her citizens. She said ” leadership is about welfarism, it is about ensuring that the people whom you are leading are doing well. And one very important thing that keeps playing back is food on the table”
Professor Julie urged all residents in the Niger Delta region to partake in the actions to keep the environment of Niger Delta clean.
Also, the zonal head of National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA), Cyrus Nkangwung who was represented by Dr. Kenneth Aroh said that the agency (NOSDRA) has in its entity of operation and activities as a lot of things that relate to environmental justice.
Continuing, Dr. Kenneth said ” What we do in NOSDRA, is to ensure that we take necessary steps that are legally possible to eñsure that oil spills are managed in such a way that will leave the environment conducive, not only for the people living now but also for the future generation.
Meanwhile, Celestine Akpobari, the technical assistant to the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, whom also represented the acting managing director of NDDC called on all Niger Deltans and residents in the region to desist from activities that will further devastate the environment.
He also called on government to support NDDC with more resources as well as funds, to enable NDDC fulfil their core mandates.
On his part, the royal father of the day, His Royal Majesty, Eze Leslie Eke Nyebuchi Eke JP- Eze gbakagbaka, Eze Oha Evo 111, pointed out that issues of pollution have continued because some of the leaders responsible for solving the issue are neither well informed nor well educated.
