From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has again taken his campaign against environmental degradation and the impact of climate change on communities in the Niger Delta to the international arena.

The Bayelsa governor on Monday advocated for the imposition of sanctions on polluters of the environment as well as a fund to compensate communities negatively affected by climate change in the region.

Diri, who stated this while delivering a keynote address on the first day of a four-day maiden DeltasUnite Summit of the United Nations Convention on Conserving of River Deltas (UNCCRD) at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, said there was need for joint action by the international community to protect the world’s Deltas due to climate-induced environmental changes.

He stated that coastal communities in Bayelsa State and elsewhere in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria were increasingly threatened by coastal erosion, oil pollution and environmental degradation.

Diri, who is also chair of the UNCCRD Governance Committee, noted that the time to act was now in order to stem the devastating effects of climate change and the threats to the world’s Deltas.

He said: “Whereas, there may be diverse factors affecting the wellbeing and sustainability of the various Deltas across the world, the commonality of our predicament prescribes a joint action. There is no doubt that river Deltas worldwide are under threat. But for us in the Niger Delta and Bayelsa, in particular, this is a dire matter of life and death. Over a half century of oil exploration has left a legacy of pollution that not only scars our environment, destroying our Deltas, but also robs our people of their dignity and well-being.”

Lamenting that the extent of devastation was either grossly under-reported or ignored, Governor Diri recalled a major oil spill incident on November 1, 2021 in Bayelsa State.

“The oil well was previously operated by Shell and was acquired by an indigenous oil firm, AITEO. The spillage of crude and associated gas lasted for over 38 days from two points into the creeks and the Santa Barbara River, which serves more than 50 fishing communities in Nembe.

“It took a long time after my intervention and that of the state government before the spill could be controlled. The reason is not far-fetched. As a state government, the laws of our country governing our oil resources are so lopsided that we lack the constitutional requirements to address such an oil spill.”

He further stated that in 2018, the state government set up the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, which conducted a scientific study detailed in its report: “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa State.”

“The report of the commission, which was started by my predecessor and completed by me, lays bare the catastrophic impact of oil and gas exploration on our communities and habitats. The findings are deeply concerning as it states: “The rate of child mortality is skyrocketing, and life expectancy is plummeting; 16,000 infant deaths in 2012 and 97% of affected communities facing food insecurity. Additionally, 40% of our precious mangrove forest has been lost due to these spills, pushing us to the very brink of environmental genocide.”

The Bayelsa helmsman noted that coastal communities in the state on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean were equally facing threats from coastal erosion, ocean surge and salt water encroachment from rising high-sea levels.

He listed some of the communities to include Agge, Orobiri, Bilabiri, Amatu, and Aghoro in Ekeremor Local Government Area.

Others are Ezetu, Foropa, Koluama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area as well as in Odioama, Okpoama, Akassa, Twon-Brass, Sangana among others in Brass Local Government Area.

Diri commended the United Nations through its former Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, which rendered assistance to the state during the devastating 2022 floods, coming at a time the federal government neglected the state.

He described the global body’s approval of the UNCCRD at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 as “a watershed opportunity in our fight to halt the unrelenting assault on our Deltas. The danger is clear and present. Today, I urge this assembly to forge a Global Deltas Action Plan (GDAP) based on three fundamental pillars, which include empowering local communities with decision-making initiatives over climate adaptation policies affecting their lives, investing in nature-based solutions – restoring mangroves, reinforcing riverbanks, and implementing regenerative agriculture.”

He also advocated global climate financing that prioritises the most vulnerable Delta communities as well as establishing of a global fund for remediation and restoration, and holding polluters accountable for decades of ecological damage.

Significantly, Diri stated that environmental justice should be recognised not as optional but rather a fundamental human right.

He also urged the UNCCRD not to see the summit’s white paper as just another document but that “It must be a declaration of intent, a binding commitment that the degradation of river Deltas will no longer be tolerated.”

“I, therefore, call on governments, multilateral institutions, corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations, philanthropic foundations, and international financial institutions to establish a dedicated budget for the operationalisation of UNCCRD. We cannot build a sustainable future for our Deltas without financial commitment. It is not enough to set policies in motion. We must ensure the resources are available to bring them to life.

“Let this summit also push an agenda for a “Global Deltas Day” when stakeholders and governments reaffirm their pledge to secure the future of our ecosystem. We are the guardians of the Deltas, and we will not let it be diminished. Our commonality should not be rooted in victimhood, but in our unyielding spirit, our collective wisdom, and our firm commitment to protecting the Deltas that give us life.“

Delegates at the summit were drawn from about 24 countries with Nigeria represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-South), Gift Johnbull while the Bayelsa delegation included National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Amb. Boladei Igali, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Ebi Ololo, his Marine and Blue Economy counterpart, Dr. Faith Zibs-Godwin as well as a Director in the ministry, Mr. Wakedei Ere and the Technical Adviser on International Development and Liaison, Mrs. Funkazi Koroye-Crooks.