Environmental activists, Thursday, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of ‘environment emergency’ in the Niger Delta region in order to ensure that oil companies don’t divest and abandon their ecological debt to the detriment of host communities.
The activists made the call at the 2nd Right Livelihood Lecture, organised by the Right Livelihood College, Health of Mother Earth Foundation and the University of Port Harcourt.
Describing the level of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta as alarming that needed to be managed, they stressed that the government should ensure a paradigm shift to earth management, noting that such a step will foster a better life and sustainability.
The Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, said the destruction of environment remained harmful to human beings, harping on the need for the earth to be cared for and maintained because the society depended heavily on the soil.
He said: “Due to much attention on oil exploitation and less attention on maintenance of the soil, foods and the ecosystem have been contaminated. Our societies are highly dependent on our soil and our practice of smallholder agriculture thrives on clean natural environments.
“The African soil has taken cruel beating. Whether we think of the gold mining communities of Obuasi in Ghana; the coal mines community of Witbank, South Africa; or the oil field communities of our own Niger Delta, the gory tale remains the same.
“Our people are forced to eat the produce of toxic soils and to drink poisoned waters, a flagrant denial of our collective right to life. The United Nations Environmental Programme’s assessment of the Ogoni environment clearly shows that something is intrinsically wrong with our relationship to our soil.
“Although the report is on Ogoni, it shows the precarious state of the entire Niger Delta environment and the urgent need for the Federal Government to declare a state of environment emergency here and to ensure that no oil company divests and abandons its ecological debt to the communities and to the nation.”
Comments