End pollution now, N’Delta communities tell oil firms

Following the persistent oil spills and gas flares in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria occasioned by the extractive activities of the multinational oil companies, two communities have called on the multinational oil giants to end the pollution.

The communities are the Eteo Community in Eleme Local Government area of Rivers State and the Okoro-Utip Community in the Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

They also called on them to remediate their impacted environment and ensure it is returned to its original state before they started their exploration.

This was part of the resolutions the two communities took at the end of the Farmers Community Town Hall meeting on “Land Right and Fight Against Land Grabbing” organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) held at Okoro-Utip Community Hall, Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State.

The secretary of Okoro-Utip village council, Chief Enyina Wilson, who spoke on behalf of his community, recounted the ordeal his people face amid activities of Exxon Mobil in their community.

He lamented oil pollution noting that their rivers and farmlands have been polluted by oil spills, even the air they breathe due to incessant gas flares, and called for environmental justice.

He said, “All we want is environmental justice. They should repair and restore our land to its original state. We want these oil companies to stop the gas flares. Our people are dying, and they don’t care about us.”

On his part, Gabriel Olomi from Eteo Community, Rivers State, called for environmental restoration and financial compensation for people who have lost their means of livelihood to pollution like oil spills, especially the June 2023 spill in his community.

Recounting his ordeal at the 2023 spills and making some demands, he said, “We woke up on 13 June 2023 and saw oil all over our streams, in the next one week, we discovered it was NNPC property. They came in the night with armed men and sealed the place, and all the water, drinking water, and fish were destroyed.

“We have written letters to the House of Assembly, to the Senate, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, and nothing has been done. We want them to bring our land to the original status so that we have back our source of living. My place is like a dead zone, no fishing activities, and no water to drink. We want a total removal of the dilapidated pipes so that such things will not occur again.”

Speaking, the Director of Climate Change and Environmental Awareness at the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Ini Umo, representing the Commissioner, Uno Etim, said the state government has reviewed and strengthened some environmental policies to make them more people friendly.

She also advised the people not to engage in activities that would be inimical to the environment, noting that the government was willing to look into their prayers.

Earlier, the Executive Director, HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, an environmental expert, challenged the oil communities to stand up for themselves and see how to solve their problems, having learned enough from the organisation.

He described the communities as victims of issues, stressing the need for environmental and social justice for all oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.

Bassey also decried the level of derelict and abandoned oil wells in the Niger Delta, noting that they are waiting time bombs, even as he called on governments to ensure proper decommissioning of the abandoned wellheads.

Recall that the organisation (HOMEF) had trained the oil-ravaged communities in both Rivers and Akwa Ibom on agroecology and mangrove restoration to see how they could begin to heal and revive their destroyed communities.