Fresh concerns over the severe health implications of the decades-long pollution of Bayelsa communities with crude oil have been expressed by experts and nongovernmental organizations, noting that residents of these areas are now exposed to more cases of cancer, deaths among infants, and shorter life spans.
The fresh worries about Bayelsa’s health situation came out at a meeting of stakeholders held in Yenagoa by the International Working Group (IWG), Social Action, and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
The findings from the meeting showed that over 70 years of oil exploration and gas flaring within the oil-producing communities of Bayelsa State have amounted to a public health tragedy that goes unreported.
From the report, individuals living in very polluted environments have been found to be suffering from increased chances of getting cancer, reproductive issues, and child growth problems. The experts also highlighted that the life expectancy in some regions had been lowered to fifty years.
The stakeholders present during the conference urged action to be taken immediately, which included setting up an environment rehabilitation fund totaling $12 billion. They also sought access to medical services, provision of clean water programs, and medical tracking systems in all states.
Engobo Emeseh, who is a professor at the Aberystwyth University, stated that the issue was an example of “environmental genocide.”
According to him, the report that was produced by the commission, first introduced in the UK House of Lords in 2023 and later on submitted to the Bayelsa State Government, showed a number of health issues resulting from pollution.
“Strange diseases, maternal health issues, and reproductive health problems. People are dying everyday,” he noted.
Other people who addressed the conference included Isaac Osuoka and Emem Okon, who appealed for action because communities living in the Niger Delta can no longer suffer the effects of oil pollution
