The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN)
at the weekend conducted a one-day training on environmental field monitoring
and reporting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa .
Participants at the seminar included media and oil-producing
communities' representatives and environmental rights activists.
Two resource persons, Mr Patterson Ogon, founding Director of Ijaw
Council for Human Rights, and Mr Alagoa Morris of the ERA/FoEN, presented
papers on "How to Conduct Environmental Field Monitoring" and
"How to Report the Environment: Field Report Writing", respectively.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ebipatei Apaingolo, the Bayelsa Commissioner for Environment, underscored the
importance of the environment to humanity.
He advocated the need to preserve the environment and understand its
behaviour, stressing that people's production and consumption patterns must not
affect the sustainability of natural resources adversely.
"Life is the environment and the environment is life. It is necessary
and appropriate to understand the workings of the environment so that we can
further prioritize our environment.
"If you don't understand the
environment, there is no way you can support the environment". Apaingolo
said.
The Commissioner commended the environmental rights group for the
seminar and its consistent advocacy on the preservation and protection of the
environment over the years.
Earlier in his remarks, Dr Godwin
Ojo, the Executive Director, ERA/FoEN,
had emphasised that the environmental rights organisation takes field
monitoring and reporting seriously.
Ojo, who was represented by Mr Mike Karikpo, ERA/FoEN's Programmes Manager,
said the organisation is a community-focused group that is committed to
addressing community issues and challenges, and providing interventions for
safer environment.
He pointed out that less attention was being giving to the Niger Delta
environment because of the issues of insecurity in the country's northeast and
middle belt, adding that "people are dying".
Two of the participants, Mr Jonah
Gbemre from Iwherekan community in Delta, and Prisu Atama from Kilama,
Tein-Biseni, in Bayelsa, thanked ERA/FoEN for the opportunity, saying the
training had helped them to understand the basics of environmental field
monitoring and reporting.
No comments:
Post a Comment