From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has solicited the support of his colleagues in the Niger Delta in addressing the environmental challenges of the region.Diri, who made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during an International Conference on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta, described the event as crucial as it provided another opportunity for the state to shed more light on its pressing environmental concerns.

The report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission (BSOEC) titled: “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria,” was unveiled at the conference organised by the Home of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the Social Development Integrated Centre with support from the Ford Foundation. The Bayelsa governor said conversations and actions to improve the environment of the Niger Delta had become imperative as the people continue to suffer the effects of environmental degradation caused by the activities of the oil companies operating in the region.He described the BSOEC report as a catalogue of the tragic situation faced by the people of Bayelsa and called for urgent action to preserve lives.According to him, the report not only captured the plight of inhabitants of Bayelsa but that it also amplified their cry for decades, stressing that the future of children of the state and the region, born and unborn, hung in the balance.Diri also stated that environmental pollution was no longer just an ecological disaster but a human rights challenge and humanitarian crisis, expressing worry that despite the magnitude of the issues, the international oil companies always deflected blame for environmental disasters claiming sabotage rather than acknowledging the undeniable truth of their own negligence and failing infrastructure.The state’s helmsman said the fight for Niger Delta’s environmental survival cannot be reduced to mere shadow-boxing, insisting that it demands concrete action, unwavering commitment and collective responsibility.He expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, for his vision in setting up the commission as well as all those who worked in the commission.The governor also commended Ford Foundation for its contribution in amplifying the Bayelsa environmental experience.He said: “Not too many decades ago, we could cast nets into abundant waters, reaping enough catch to nourish entire families. However, the oil boom has brought doom. Our lifeblood – our rivers – now flow with toxic oil residue instead of vibrant life.”We are a people of the river and the land; fishing and farming were once our essence. These vocations, passed down through generations, taught us patience, respect for nature, and the value of hard work. But the unchecked activities of the international oil companies have turned the prolific rivers and fertile soil of Bayelsa into a wasteland.”Indeed, oil pollution and relentless gas flaring have engendered a grim tapestry of alien health conditions in Bayelsa; children are being born with severe deformities, respiratory diseases flourish, stubbornly defying even the most advanced medical interventions and therapies. Cancers, once a rarity, have surged in prevalence, infiltrating the villages like a spectre that haunts the very fabric of daily life.”The environment itself has become a crucible of suffering. The air hangs thick with toxins, while the water, once a source of life, now flows with pollutants that carry the weight of despair. This unrelenting barrage of environmental degradation has transformed Bayelsa into an epicentre of health crises, forging a reality where illness and suffering have become the norm rather than the exception.”The report notes that as a direct consequence, life expectancy in Bayelsa has plummeted to just 50 years, sinking well below levels deemed acceptable by global standards. This, I believe, is not limited toBayelsa State alone. Therefore, I call on my brother governors of the oil producing states to join hands with us in the battle for environmental justice.”In his remarks, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, who is the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, commended members of the commission for their dedication and commitment to produce the report and expressed the optimism that it will go a long way in solving the environmental challenges of the state if properly implemented.He lauded Governor Diri for not abandoning the commission and called on all hands to be on deck to ensure that the report of the commission was implemented.Present at the event were the BSOEC chairman, Dr. John Sentamu and other members of the commission.