Connect with us

Environment

Pollution Report: Environmentalists Urge Bayelsa Govt to Take Urgent Action

Published

on

Share

Some Environmentalists on Wednesday, called on the Bayelsa Government to take urgent and immediate for further action on the Bayelsa Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) report.

The Report was presented to Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa at the House of Lords, on Tuesday in London.

The Report titled “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria,” captured more than 60 years of oil exploration and pollution in the oil rich state.

The BSOEC, established in March 2019 by former governor Seriake Dickson, noted that abnormally high concentrations of toxic heavy metals were found in soil and waters in Bayelsa oil communities.

The report attributed the massive pollutions to activities of oil and gas exploration and production by oil firms and recommended a remediation fund of 12 billion dollars over a period of 12 year.

Dr Nninmo Bassey, Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an environment-foc8ser Non-Governmental Organisation urged the Bayelsa government to go beyond receiving the report.

Bassey, a renowned rights activist noted that it was obvious that Bayelsa was highly polluted with high toxicity levels begging for remediation.

“The horrific degradation of the Niger Delta is undeniable, as it is open and in plain sight.

“Considering how slow the Federal Government has been in making a decision for an assessment of the entire Niger Delta environment, we must applaud the Bayelsa state government for establishing the Commission.

“Having the report is good, particularly for Bayelsa, because the state is arguably the most dastardly polluted in Nigeria. But having the report is one thing. The question is, after the report confirms the obvious, what will be the next steps?

“That is what we want to hear from the Bayelsa Government, from the Federal Government and from the polluting oil companies,” he said.

Similarly, another renowned environmentalist, Mr Alagoa Morris, welcomed the report.

He added that though Dickson came up with the setting up of the commission from a very “selfish” disposition, it was nice that a special investigation and report relating to oil industry induced pollution was becoming a reality; specifically for Bayelsa.

“We are not too excited about it, because the UNEP report on Ogoni has informed Niger Deltans, Nigerians and the world about the negative impacts of crude oil on the environment, livelihood, health and well-being of the people.

“The situation is not expected to be much different, just that the case of Bayelsa would be on a higher scale as per scope of pollution.

“While that of Ogoni is just about Shell, in Bayelsa we should be looking at the combined pollution caused by Shell, Agip, Chevron, Conoil, etc.

“This is more so, as in 2014 NOSDRA made public that Bayelsa was most polluted,” Morris said.

He explained that  while much of the impacted areas in Ogoni were salt water environment,  it was like 50/50 for salt water and fresh water environment in Bayelsa that have suffered many years of oil spills.

According to him, there are still so many impacted sites which have never been cleaned and remediated or any attempt made.

“Taylor Creek, Kolo Creek, Ikebiri Creek, Apoi Creek, Ossiama Creek, Nun River, and Silver River are all fresh water flowing bodies of water that have been polluted by crude oil from Shell and Agip again and again.

“Incidentally, because of government’s neglect, communities settling along these rivers and creeks resort to them for drinking, bathing, washing clothes and kitchen utensils as well as for fermentation of cassava for “fufu”.

“So, our people would suffer much more health implications, as the water soluble part of crude oil is even more dangerous.”

He therefore called for the effective cleanup and remediation of all impacted sites, just like UNEP recommended cleanup in Ogoni as well as compensation for pending cases of equipment failure incidents.

“It won’t be out of place to also have recommendations for our communities to be given portable water and better access to good health facilities plus world class laboratory in Bayelsa to enable easy testing of materials from impacted sites,” Morris added. (NAN)

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Environment

Prolonged Public Holidays Come with Negative Economic Effects on Citizens – Anambra Residents

Published

on

Share

Anambra residents have slammed the additional day approved by the Federal Government for the Muslim faithful to celebrate the 2024 Eid-Ei-Fitr, saying this will have negative effects on the economy.

The Federal government had early declared April 9 and 10 as Muslim-Ummah for the successful completion of a month’s spiritual rejuvenation.

Reports says that residents of Anambra capital city believe that the additional day which they did not plan for will result in economic hardship to the citizenry.

Most respondents believe that people had planned to resume their economic activities instead of wasting their time staying at home doing nothing..

Former Chairman, Awka Chamber of Commerce, Chief Felly Akosa, described the additional day to the two days approved earlier as “unfair to the economy of the country as people were unprepared for the additional day.

Akosa said that although it is right for the Muslim faithful to celebrate their holiday after a month-long fasting, the process needs to be carefully planned for in place of the additional rest day which could inhibit business activities.

Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, National Vice President of Igbo Apex Social Cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said the policy would cause huge economic waste as businesses are put on hold,

He advised that, in future, a proper and well planned programme needs to be in place before declaring a public holiday for any celebration that will be national.

“Our economy and other sectors are not very healthy,” and it would, therefore be appropriate to plan well to avoid declarations that will hamper the citizens’ welfare.

Mazi Christian Beluchukwu, a business man in Awka, described the extension of the Eid-El-Fitr public holiday to Thursday, April 11, as an added hardship for the citizenry.

Beluchukwu said that any public holiday for three days, April 9 to 11, to celebrate any feast in the country is an economic loss to the nation.

He said that it was best to stick to the two-day national public holidays as this gives room for the people to plan their activities very well.

He stated that his wife went to a public hospital on Tuesday and was unattended to because there was no doctor on seat to provide medical attention.

“She resorted to visiting a private hospital which cost extra money which the public hospital is expected to handle at a reasonable cost. (NAN)

Continue Reading

Environment

World Bank Fund: Corporation Rehabilitates Treatment Plant, Reticulation in Jos South

Published

on

Share

The Jos Water Services Corporation (JWSC) has said that the World Bank fund received would be used to boost water supply to Bukuru and environs in Jos South Local Government Area.

Mr Apollos Samchi, the Managing Director of the corporation, said that N1.7 billion would be expended on the rehabilitation of water treatment plant, over head steel tank and laying of pipes to homes of consumers.

Samchi, who disclosed this on Friday in Jos, during a two-day capacity building workshop, said that the projects were expected to be completed in four months.

Reports says that the workshop organised for contractors has at its theme: “Implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans for Projects in Jos South.

The MD said that the projects would ensure steady provision of potable water to residents in Gyel and Kurgiya in Jos South Local Government Area.

He said the treatment plant when rehabilitated would pump out 5,000 cubic litres of water daily.

The MD further stated that the reticulation exercise would cover residents who weren’t initially connected to public water supply in the area.

Samchi said that the essence of the workshop was to ensure that the contractors were trained to develop adequate measures and controls to minimise and mitigate potential environmental and social risks that could adversely affect the project implementation.

He called on all the contractors handling the projects to ensure that they adhered to the environmental and safety standards and deliver within the specified timeframe.

In his remarks, Mr Jonathan Malann, the Plateau Project Coordinator, Sustainable Urban, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (SURWASH), also advised contractors to adhere to the environmental and safety standards as provided by the World Bank.

The Federal Government had received $700m financing from the World Bank to ensure that all its people have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services.

The seven participating states are Plateau, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, and Kaduna.(NAN)

Continue Reading

Environment

Erosion Control Project: Gombe SEC Approves N389m Compensation for Residents

Published

on

Share

The Gombe State Executive Council (SEC) has approved payment of N389 million as compensation for residents that would be affected by the gully erosion control project at Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical and its surrounding communities.

The Commissioner for Finance, Gombe State, Malam Mohammed Magaji, stated this at the end of the SEC meeting on Friday in Gombe.

Magaji said the payment, which would commence immediately, would be for individuals and organisations along the gully erosion site.

He said almost 1000 persons were expected to benefit from the gesture.

According to him, the compensation is part of the requirements of the World Bank, which specifies that such payments be made to property owners.

Magaji said the payment would also be made to ensure seamless resettlement of affected persons.

“The beneficiaries are in hundreds, almost a 1,000 people; there is compensation for houses, and also for business premises.

“There is also stipends for the elderly living around that area so that they are able to have good livelihood,” he said.

The commissioner for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Maigari, also said the SEC approved upgrade of the five mega senior secondary schools in the state to sustain improvement in the education sector.

Maigari said the upgrade would be carried out based on the needs of each of the schools.

She stated that infrastructure in some of the schools were already being upgraded to global standards.

“We have seen construction of toilets, installation of solar-powered light, construction of roads, school clinics, boreholes and many more,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Nov. 23 signed a N12 billion contract with Triacta Nigeria Ltd. for a 21-kilometre gully erosion control work in six communities within Gombe metropolis.

The project is under ACRESAL project, a World Bank-assisted project to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in northern Nigeria. (NAN)

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

NEWS9 hours ago

NDA Commandant Decorates Ombugadu, Others as Fellows of Solar Energy Society of Nigeria

ShareFrom Abel Zwànke, Lafia The 2023 gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, His Excellency Rt....

NEWS21 hours ago

Yuletide: Bode George Urges Tinubu to Reduce Petrol Price

ShareChief Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged President Bola Tinubu to...

NEWS22 hours ago

Tinubu Set for Groundbreaking of Renewed Hope City in Lagos 

Share President Bola Tinubu, is set to perform the  groundbreaking of 2,000 housing units of the Renewed Hope City in...

NEWS22 hours ago

Gov. Alia Presents N550.1bn as 2025 Budget Estimate to Benue Assembly 

ShareGov. Hyacinth Alia on Wednesday presented the sum of N550.1bn as the 2025 appropriation bill to the Benue State House...

NEWS22 hours ago

Tax Bills: NASS will not Betray the Trust of Nigerians, says Akpabio

Share The President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, says the National Assembly will prioritise the interest of all Nigerians...

NEWS22 hours ago

Alia Has Demonstrated Capacity, Courage to Entrench Good Governance—Speaker 

Share The Speaker, Benue Assembly, Mr Hyacinth Dajo, has said that Gov. Hyacinth Alia has so far demonstrated capacity, courage,...

Economy22 hours ago

Investors Gain N183bn on NGX

Share The Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) continued its bullish trend on Wednesday, gaining N183 billion. Accordingly, the market capitalisation, which...

NEWS22 hours ago

Energy, Solid Minerals Top Priority, Tinubu Tells German Businessmen

Share President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, assured the German government and businessmen of Nigeria’s preparedness to expand frontiers for investors...

NEWS22 hours ago

Nigerian Who Wrote WASSCE 17 Times Bags Distinction from London School 

Share Dr Emmanuel Ahmadu, a Nigerian who wrote the West Africa School Senior Certificate Education 17 times, has earned a...

POLITICS22 hours ago

INEC Staff Welfare Association Warns Members Against Manipulating Election Results

Share The Abia Chapter of the INEC Staff Welfare Association (ISWA) has warned its members to uphold the integrity of...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc