By Patience Abu, Port Harcourt
Even though Nigeria is said to be the sixth largest exporter of crude oil in the world, as well as the largest country in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with a large revenue index, there is no shred of evidence that the immediate environment and her people at least benefit from the natural endowment.
Petroleum products contribute to more than 80% of the federation’s foreign exchange. However, the occurrences of oil spill, gas flare, pipeline explosion as well as leakages has had a significant negative impact on the inhabitants of the Niger Delta.
The degree of this degradation can not be overstated; oil extraction has caused immeasurable hardships, misery, sickness, and in some cases death, to the host communities that serve as a hub for the Nigerian economy.
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In the past oil extraction deals for communities meant progress in terms of improved livelihoods and job opportunities as well as a better life for the host communities. However, this has not been the case for the Goi community in Ogoni Rivers state which has experienced an oil spill that has negatively impacted their livelihood
Ogoni in Rivers State has hosted one of the best natural resources that has enriched Nigeria with over 52 oil fields, yet the area bears no imprint of development. The people of Goi community, known for their hospitality, rich culture, and vast land, were for 17 years forced to leave their ancestral land due to pollution. 17 years later Goi community still appears empty with no occupant visible in what was once a bustling town
The paramount ruler of Goi, Chief Eric Bariza, recalled the incident that drove them from their ancestral land. “For 17 years after the pollution that took the lives of inhabitants is yet to be addressed by the Federal Government. He expressed sadness that the federal government has not shown any serious concern about their plight and nothing has been done to alleviate the community distress”
Also, the Executive Director of HOMEF Nnimmo Bassey in a visit to the community dated back to October 2021 stressed the need for government intervention to speed up the cleanup. “Goi community does not have an oil well, flow station, gas flare, or oil installation apart from the pipeline at the fringe near Bodo community, yet they have had the worst pollution in their river which has also affected their land”
“The people of Goi community are living as refugees in other communities. You cannot stay here for long and remain healthy because the hydrocarbon is very thick in the atmosphere, and in the air we are breathing” he added.
Bassey therefore urged the government to restore the Goi community and bring back indigenes to their ancestral homes.
The extraction activities, it is crucial to highlight, have done a significant disservice to the people and the community as a whole and are not in the interests of the people.
