WordPress

Author: Nathan Nwakamma

  • HOMEF seeks state of emergency on environment

    Environment

    By Nathan Nwakamma

    Yenagoa, June 5, 2024 (NAN) Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an ecology advocacy group, has urged the Federal Government to urgently declare a state of emergency on the environment.

    Executive Director, HOMEF,  Dr Nnimmo Bassey, made the call on Wednesday in a statement to commemorate the 2024 World Environment Day (WED).

    Bassey said that the 2024 World Environment Day was dedicated to communities whose lands and livelihoods had been lost to extractivism and pollution.

    The theme for 2024 WED is “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience.’’

    According to Bassey, this year’s celebration urges us to reflect on stewardship duty towards the nature, environment and all living beings rather than continuing with a predatory and destructive relationships that negate collective well-being.

    He urged that steps must be taken to halt deforestation, biodiversity erosion and land degradation, adding that without serious climate action humanity would remain on a downward spiral to multiple crises that were already plaguing the world.

    “Today is a good time for reflection and a change of direction.”

    Bassey said that the 2024 WED offered Nigeria a template for socioeconomic and environmental reexamination and action.

    He explained that parts of Africa were ravaged by environmental degradation, water stress and drought as Nigeria was particularly affected by desertification and other ecological harms.

    “As we celebrate World Environment Day, we remind ourselves that our environment has been plagued with destructive activities especially through resource extraction and poor land-use changes.

    “Nigeria needs an emergency environmental restoration plan across board as the only way to build resilience and ensure a safe future.

    “This is our duty to ourselves and to future generations and immediate steps should be taken by the Nigerian government to ensure the proper clean-up of polluted lands, restoration of same and payment of compensation for damage suffered.

    “We must wake up from the futile dream that the earth can be recklessly exploited without dire consequences.

    “We need to understand that the generous gifts of Nature must be handled with gratitude and care.

    “We are living witnesses to the crimes committed in mining communities, oil fields and conflict zones.

    “We must protect our biodiversity; reject species-eroding genetic modifications of all sorts and support harmonious relationships with Nature.”

    Bassey said that the WED was an important day for governments to resolve to ensure that communities were fully informed, consulted and their consent received before projects that impacted of the environment were designed or implemented.

    According to him, it must never be forgotten that these communities continuously tackle the impacts of the multidimensional ecological crisis in their unsupported and vulnerable state and deserve to be protected.

    “We should transformatively change our policies and choices to live sustainably in harmony with nature; with the complete understanding that the planet is our only home and that her resources are finite,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    NN/CJ/

    =======

    Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

     

  • Our demand for separate HCDT not negotiable — 7 Shell’s EA hosts

    Our demand for separate HCDT not negotiable — 7 Shell’s EA hosts

     

    HCDT

    By Nathan Nwakamma 

    Bisangbene (Bayelsa) June 4, 2024 (NAN) The seven protesting communities occupying Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Estuary Area (EA) in Bayelsa say their demand for separate Host Community Development Trust is not negotiable. 

    The communities had resolved to maintain a peaceful occupation of the EA field around the Sea Eagle Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, while awaiting favourable resolution at the negotiating table.

    Mr Timothy Geregere, Chairman of Bisangbene, and representative of the seven host communities, said on Tuesday, that the meeting between SPDC officials and the communities on May 30, ended without resolving the dispute.

    He said that the oil firm told the seven communities to write to the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to request that they want a separate HCDT.

    “What transpired at the meeting is unacceptable and an indication that SPDC is taking our peaceful disposition for granted and having exhaustively towed the path of dialogue the only option left is shut down the entire field.

    “We cannot understand the position that Shell is saying that the EA Host Community Development Trust is subject of inter communal litigation, why then did they go ahead to incorporate the EA HCDT clustering us with five alien communities ?

    “We have made it abundantly clear in many letters from when the idea was mooted. We want all to know that SPDC should take responsibility for any breach of the existing peace at the EA fields haven pushed us to the wall.

    “Their double speak on this matter is unacceptable, it is not in our place to write to NUPRC, it is in their place to give NUPRC who is the regulator and give them the constitution of the HCDT. We reject the EA HCDT as currently constituted, it is unacceptable,” Geregere said

    The community leader insisted that a separate HCDT was not negotiable, adding that there were several examples where other oil firms like Chevron and ExxonMobil had to constitute multiple HCDTs in same field to respect the cultural lineage of host communities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa took the protest to the EA oilfields, off the Atlantic coastline, on May 20.

    The protesters arrived at the EA oilfields on speedboats chanting solidarity songs in the Ijaw dialect.

    According to him, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, mandates oil firms to set aside three per cent of their operational expenses for community development to be managed by HCDT.

    He explained that the separation became necessary because the 12 communities in the EA, including five other communities, could not work together.

    He said that the seven communities that had resolved to work together included, Bisangbene, Amatu I, Amatu II, Letugbene, Orobiri, Ogbintu and Azamabiri.

    They insisted on having a separate trust from the five other communities, which are Bilabiri 1, Bilabiri 2, Ikeni, Izetu, and Agge.

    When contacted, SPDC Spokesperson, Mr Michael Adande, said the matter was already in court.

    “The EA Host Communities Development Trust is a subject of intra-communal litigation, the outcome of which is being awaited before any further steps by the SPDC.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    NN/IAA

    =======

    Edited by Isaac Aregbesola