HOMEF, CSOs demand environmental, health audit of Nigeria’s Niger Delta

G
l o b a l
environmentalists
and Rights Activist are
calling for an environmental
and health audit for the Niger
Delta region. They argue
that years of pollution have
led to strange ailments in
local communities where oil
extraction have taken place
for over seven decades in the
region.
The activists spoke at the
ongoing Niger Delta Climate
Change Conference, tagged
“Acting Together for Climate
Resilience; Recovery Plan for
Niger Delta” in Port Harcourt,
the Rivers State capital.
In his presentation,
Executive Director the
Health of Mother Earth
Foundation (HOMEF), Rev.
Nnimmo Bassey called for
an environmental and health
audit of the entire region.
He stated that Niger Deltans
should not only be concerned
about the restoration of the
degraded environment, but
the restoration of livelihood,
which will in turn, restore the
economy of the region.
He said: “Climate change
impacts require actions; it
is usually adaptation and
mitigation. The mitigation
aspect is one: Nigeria should
stop gas flaring and quickly
shift away from the burnings
of fossil fuel completely.
“But, in terms of adapting,
people have to he able to
survive. Number one thing is
to carry out environmental
and health audit of the entire
region, so that you can know
what is the problem and the
action to be taken.
“Just like the Ogoni clean
up, it came up after the
environmental audit. Bayelsa
State government has carried
out and environmental and
health audit of Bayelsa State by
the State Oil and Environment
Commission that issued a
report in August last year.
“So, we need to do that but,
the emphasis we are making
is that, you must take note,
not just concerned with the
cleaning or restoring the
environment, you have to
restore the people.
“It is about restoring lives
and restoring livelihood as well
as restoring the environment.
If the environment is good,
livelihood will revive, if
livelihood is revived, the
economy will be revived and
people will be more resilient
to global impacts.
“We know what the
problems are but if we don’t
clean up the Niger Delta,
whatever you do is like a water
of time.”
Also, speaking on “Towards
a Niger Delta Action Plan on
Climate Change”, Executive
Director of We the People, Ken
Henshaw, stated that climate
change and oil exploration
have made many people in the
Niger Delta region refugees in
their own lands.
Henshaw posited that crude
oil exploration has done more
harm than good to Nigeria
and the people, arguing that
the economy of the country
was stronger prior crude oil
production.
He called for unity,
concerted and qaaqqdeliberate
efforts from Niger Deltans to
achieve climate justice. “We
can’t have energy transition
that does not address the
issues of climate change
holistically,” he stated.
Also speaking, a Professor
of Adult and Environmental
Education at the University of
Port Harcourt (UNIPORT),
Prof Mbalisi Festus called for
the need to stop activities that
attack the ozone Layer.
Festus who spoke on
“Sustainable and Adaptable
Measures to addressing
Climate Change,” also
emphasised the need for
Nigeria to drive its economy
with clean energy solutions.
He recommended
mangrove restoration, tree
planting, proper education,
sensitisation, and early food
crop planting as adaptation
strategies for climate change
mitigate in Nigeria.