The cry of the people of the Niger Delta region regarding environmental degradation is yet to be fully over despite government’s so-called move to clean the environment. Bayelsa state has, however decided to cease the bull by the horn, as JOY EMMANUEL reports.
Bayelsa state can best be described as the home of commercial oil well in Nigeria. However, since 1956 oil spills was a reoccurring decimal in the state with communities bearing the brunt.
As a result of this, Bayelsa state government launched a global campaign to draw attention to the ravaging effects of oil spills, pollution and the general environmental degradation in the state led by the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Tucker Sentamu has raised the alarm over environmental degradation facing the state.
Environmental hazard
According to him, the environment has been destroyed because of unchecked pollution which culminated in the destruction of the people’s livelihood.
“Do you know I went in to see the rivers? For about four to six hours, I did not see a single bird flying anywhere. You would have expected to see them because they should be plenty but the environment and habitat have been destroyed. As a result of this, the people found themselves with all kinds of diseases and sufferings,” he stressed.
The Seriake Dickson-led administration has therefore decided to lead the fight against the environmental menace in the Niger Delta in order to avoid the total annihilation of its people.
To that extent, Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission was recently inaugurated on the 28th of March 2019 to look into all these problems. Nearly a month after its inauguration, the commission is meeting with the civil society organisations to discuss its mission and functionalities. Blueprint learnt that about 109 communities registered the grievances they have against oil companies to the commission
The non-chalant attitude of oil companies
Some of the people that gave evidence complained to the commission about the non-chalant attitude of oil companies and effects of oil spills, gas flaring in regards to their health.
The chairman of the commission, Dr Santemu assured them that the commission will use all the evidence presented before it to clamour for change in the way and manner the oil companies operate in the Niger Delta region.
The prominent clergy said that it would be an understatement for anybody to describe the magnitude of violence done to the environment due to spillages and pollution by the oil firms as mere degradation.
“Your passion is our passion, your determination is our determination, we are just independent in our respect because the environmental degradation has polluted the air and destroyed people’s livelihood and it has gone on for too long.”
Oil pollution
Bishop Oki from Agbayama community in Ekeremor local government said, “ I need to tell the commission about how oil has affected our communities, the plants and
waters.
“The oil that spills in Aghoro gets to Agbayama, to Ogbotubo, Letugbene. We are thinking of stopping the operation in Ogbotubo.
“The youths we have gathered to stop SPDC operation in Ogbotubo totally until the government intervenes.
“We are having some challenges there. All the communities around where we are staying drink from the river water and every year, we
lose souls of more than 25 persons.
“And our resources are got through fishing but presently, you cannot get any fish from the river of Ogbotubo and Agbayama because there is oil pollution every day and night.
Seeks government intervention
“We are begging the government to please tell Shell to answer us by coming to clean the spills, if not we have some months and some days ahead of us to cause problems in that area. We cannot sleep in our houses because of the heat. If you like connect all the air conditioners to the house, you cannot sleep because of the heat.
Another prominent testifier is His Royal Majesty, Bubaraye the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama, who had, from onset, decried the health challenges caused by environmental degradation. Ekpetiama said that gas flaring is another problem which is most intimidating in that part of the world. According to him, “We have the problem of asthma and so on, acid rain and we have the problem of roofing sheet not standing the test of time and all kinds of skin problems. A lot of people have died before their time because of this. From good health, we now have different kinds of ailments.
“Shell and every other international company working in Nigeria declare their profit from working in Nigeria. For them it is business but for us, it is our health, our children and our future that is put online every day.
“Here, I have seen oil spillages that keep oozing oil day after day. The much talked-about criminality around the Niger Delta is as a result of this negligence by the oil companies. They deny the truth and because of that, they laboured into criminality. It has happened time and time,” he explained
“Specifically, the Middle East is a good example of a place where oil is changed, if the IOC’s had apportioned a little to the Niger Delta, it would have been like Dubai, even if it one percent were given per annum for the development of the area.”
Speaking further he said, “We have been cheated and exploit. I believe that the world should compel the IOC’s and the Federal Republic of Nigeria to do justice to the Niger Delta regions. They should clean all the oil spillage, they should wake up and live up to their responsibilities.
“Every year, children are dying in their numbers; we shouldn’t be like this with no proper health care and no attention. Go to the swamp, everywhere is full of decay as if it is a roast material; that is why these boys carry guns. How can somebody not be intimidated, humiliated under this condition?”
However, the commission has assured the civil societies of an action plan to ensure a healthy environmental clean-up through remediation of the impact site where the host communities will receive sufficient compensation for the impact of the pollution and degradation and thereafter benefit from the production of oil within their communities.