…Insist on Renewable Energy
By Obiabin Onukwugha
As countries of the world move towards renewable energy and advocacy for remediation of the Niger Delta environment continues, environmentalists have called on the Federal Government to establish a social fund for people of the region, especially children.
The environmentalists, who spoke during a visit to some oil spill sites in Ogoniland, Rivers State, decried that with the extent of damage being done to the environment, children in generations to come will not have source of livelihood.
In an interview with this reporter, David Michael, Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem (GIFSEP), said with the extent of devastation seen on the environment, children in the near future will not have source of livelihood, hence the need to establish a Social Fund.
He said: “I am not from the Niger Delta but environmental injustice anywhere in the world is environmental injustice and today I saw first-hand, the level of destruction of the ecosystem of the environment, of the livelihood of the people of the Niger Delta.
“I have one message and that is; there is the urgent need for social security for all Niger Deltans, especially the children, so that they don’t suffer the impact of this environmental degradation. Because what I see is beyond remediation at this point.
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“There is no point where a few individuals are raking billions in profit while the citizens are lavishing in poverty. They shouldn’t be suffering the consequences of staying in a blessed land with these resources. So let the polluters pay.
“It should be a combination of the oil multinationals and the Federal Government. There should be a Fund. A lot of profits have been made from this region but when you come you see the roads, you see the farms, nothing is working.
“So, it means that the children of the Niger Delta who originally will grow up to be fishing folks or farmers can no longer have those occupations, but they have to survive. And that is why we are saying that, create a Fund a form of Social Security so that all Niger Deltans should benefit from their resources, not just a few individuals.
He further harped on the need for the Federal Government to join other countries of the world in transitioning to renewable energy. “We must transition to renewable energy”, he said.
On his part, Executive Director of Lekeh Development Foundation, and Organiser of the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference, Friday Nbani, emphasised the need for the federal government to transit to renewable energy in order to preserve the lives of the people of the Niger Delta, especially the Ogonis.
Nbani, who recalled how the Federal Government solve the problem of communication through reduction of prices of sim cards and phones, said all it takes is the political will to drive the process.
“Enough is Enough. Let them (federal government and multinationals) leave the oil in the soil because there is no benefit. Not only that, now, there is renewable energy. Renewable Energy is friendly to the people, it is friendly to the environment, it is friendly to the community, and it is friendly to the health of the people.
“If other countries of the world have started to imbibe it, Nigeria can do it. We have what it takes to do it, so the Nigerian Government should step into it”, he added.
