RIVERS COMMUNITIES DEMAND JUSTICE OVER ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Read Time:1 Minute, 59 Second
Communities throughout the Niger Delta have reiterated their demands for justice, restoration, and acknowledgment following decades of environmental deterioration associated with oil and gas exploration.
These assertions were articulated during a People’s Tribunal organized by Social Action in Rivers State, where impacted residents conveyed poignant testimonies regarding the devastation of their surroundings, deteriorating health conditions, and the disintegration of their livelihoods. The tribunal listened to accounts from victims who reported years of pollution resulting from oil spills, gas flaring, and other detrimental practices linked to international oil companies (IOCs).
One of the panel members, Barrister Higher King, a human rights advocate and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Human Rights Committee, denounced the prolonged neglect of the region.
“The hen that lays the golden egg does not even possess an ordinary egg, let alone the golden egg that it produces,” he stated, emphasizing that both the government and IOCs must assume accountability for the environmental devastation and human rights infringements occurring in the area.
Residents from Abalama, Rumuekpe, and neighboring communities in Rivers State congregated in Ahoada-East to recount the calamity in their regions. They urged for immediate restoration, medical assistance, and appropriate acknowledgment as host communities of the nation’s oil resources.
“We can hear the sound, the noise, we can also observe the spillage in our waterways… the impact of the toxic materials and hydrocarbons from that spillage remains,” remarked Tamuno Kalada from Abalama. Similarly, Engineer Vadi Chimakpam, an environmental monitor from Rumuekpe, lamented the deteriorating conditions of their ecosystem. “Our soils are devastated, our livelihoods are in dire straits, we lack access to clean drinking water… crude oil is present in our streams and rivers, yet no action is being taken,” he complained.
Ikechukwu Jobah, Chairman of the Ogba Egbema Ndoni Hydrocarbon Host Landlords, expressed frustration regarding the absence of acknowledgment and benefits despite hosting significant energy infrastructure. “We have the two largest gas plants in Africa, yet we are disregarded by the companies… they are not investing in us,” he stated.
The tribunal concluded with fervent calls for accountability, urging governments and IOCs to implement restoration measures, rectify longstanding injustices, and uphold the rights of host communities. It also motivated affected residents to persist in advocating against environmental violations and called upon the international community to intervene in addressing the ongoing ecological and human rights crisis in the Niger Delta.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0