Some Fishing communities in in both Bayelsa and Delta States has again raised the alarm over the rate of pollution which has effectively destroyed their sources of livelihood.
The members of the communities lamented further that years after a Federal High Court in Benin City ruled in favour of the community and held that gas flaring is unconstitutional and against the
human rights of the people both Shell Petroleum Corporation and the Federal Government has done nothing to alleviate the suffering of the people.
These concerns were raised, during a recent two day training facilitated by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in Bayelsa State, where over
80 participants from Ekpetiama (Bayelsa State) and Iwherekan
(Delta State) had community participated.
The training which dwells on diagnostics dialogue, environmental monitoring and advocacy provide spaces for communities to review the environmental situations of their communities and identify areas were actions to preserve and defend their heritage are needed.
Speaking during the straining, HOMEF director, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, said oil and gas exploitation has exposed communities in Nigeria to decades of unabated pollution giving rise to health challenges livelihood stress
and a general denial of a good life and wellbeing of the community
people.
“Gas flaring has been a major source of environmental damage and habitat
loss in the Niger Delta region and has adversely affected local people
that depend on fishing and farming as major sources of their livelihood.
“Over the years, HOMEF has facilitated dialogue in communities affected
by oil and gas exploitation activities and has rallied support for the
communities to speak up against the polluting activities of corporations and seek justice,” he said.
A participant from Ekpetiama, Peredangikumo Ogiriki, lamented the state
of things in his community. According to him, before oil and gas
operations began in his community they had enjoyed peace and unity. He
added, “Today there is disunity and suspicion and activities such as
indiscriminate sand mining and massive gas flaring have led to pollution
of our river and the air.”
Another participant, Kaka Taripreye, stated that “our challenges are
numerous from degradation of our community to our physical and social
needs. As a fisherman, the river pollution has affected me and it is
difficult for me to make ends meet. You return home with nothing after a
whole day of toiling. Gas flaring in the community has affected
everything. Our farm yields are now poor and this is affecting us
badly.”
“We have suffered very much from the gas flare. I am an undergraduate,
sadly all we do is struggle to live here due to environmental
degradation. Our health is affected and we have no health facility, it
is a terrible living condition,” lamented Jane Ogiriki.
During the training, resource persons charged community members to be
vigilant to note and report on happenings in their environment.
Iwherekan and Ekpetiama communities have similar challenges especially
those related to gas flaring. There are rampant incidents of respiratory
diseases and increase of cardiac cases.
Recall that in 2005, Iwherekan
community sued Shell Petroleum Development Company and the Attorney
General of the Federation for engaging in gas flaring in the community
which they saw as unconstitutional and an affront to their right to
life.
