60 BAYELSA COMMUNITIES PRESENT SPILLAGE EVIDENCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL PANEL Devastation like dropped bomb - Archbishop Sentamu
60 BAYELSA COMMUNITIES PRESENT SPILLAGE EVIDENCE TO
ENVIRONMENTAL PANEL
Devastation like
dropped bomb - Archbishop Sentamu
By Our Reporter
 |
| A cross section of Participants at the Public presentaion of evidence to the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission |
The 10-man panel inaugurated by
Governor Henry Seriake Dickson in March this year rounded off the second round
of its fact-finding investigative assignment at the weekend during which it
held roundtable sessions with non-governmental organisations and health
experts.
It also visited six ravaged communities
in Southern Ijaw, Brass and Yenagoa local government areas of the state.
The commission held a well-attended
public evidence session on Friday during which communities gave oral evidence
of devastation and neglect by oil companies operating in their areas before
submitting documented reports to the panel.
The traditional ruler of Agudama
community, MC Kipasa, told the commission that they had recorded several oil
spills from the operations of both Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)
and the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), which have seriously affected his
community.
"We don't have fish in our river
anymore. Even our land for farming is gone. Nothing is left for us due to these
oil spills," he lamented just as he thanked Governor Seriake Dickson for
giving them hope by setting up the commission.
An Agbura community leader, Chief
Igwe Napoleon, while giving evidence said the farmlands and river in his
community have been polluted due to oil exploration activities and accused Shell
of reneging on the terms of agreement signed with communities in the area.
Stephen Moses from Egbema-Angalabiri
also gave evidence of the devastating effects of environmental pollution on his
community. He lamented that oil production had become a curse to his community
instead of a blessing.
Hon. L. A. Eminah, who represented
communities where the Obama oil field with about 12 wells are located, also
complained about the effects of gas flaring in the area, saying the heat from
the flares had resulted in blurred vision among the locals.
Other speakers included Donatus Gbame
from Bakiri community in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Comrade Hitler Joseph
from Okoroba community, Hon. Ken Again who represented the Amananaowei of
Peretorugbene Federated Communities, Chief Shagari Edward of Ogbotobo
Community, Ojoto ThankGod of Agbayama Community, Chief DSP Ikporo of
Koluama community and Dr Awoli Anapurere, who is the public relations officer
of the Oil and Gas Producing Areas Enlightenment and Empowerment Initiative.
Earlier in his presentatation, Prof.
Paingha Alagoa, noted that there were numerous effects of oil spills on the
communities, including but not limited to skin diseases, destruction of marine
life, respiratory illnesses and chronic fatigue.
He said gas flaring in Niger Delta
communities accounted for about 19.75% or one-fifth of the entire global flares
and that the dangerous trend will take more toll if not adequately
addressed.
Chairman of the commission,
Archbishop Sentamu, in his remarks, decried the lack of political will on the
part of the Nigerian government in addressing the environmental devastation in
the Niger Delta, saying the time had come for total cleansing and remediation
of the affected communities.
"Change must happen even though
the laws have not been effective and the issue of compensation have not been
addressed. In some communities we visited, it looked like a bomb had been
dropped but it was oil spillage.
"The rest of the international
community cannot just turn a blind eye. The pollution that has gone on in this
particular state has affected the global village," he said.
He however urged the community
leaders to continue to be resilient in the midst of their challenges, adding
that the commission under his leadership would make the right recommendations
to the Bayelsa State government.
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