The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on Friday urged the Federal
Government to probe the reported pollution of the Niger Delta coastline leading
to massive death of fishes and sanction the polluter.
Mr Kenedy Olorogun, Chairman of IYC Transition Implementation
Committee said in Yenagoa that the leadership of the group was worried that the
increased toxicity of the waters is causing massive death of fishes.
He said that the Atlantic coastline across Edo, Delta
Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom was littered by dead fishes, a development that
posed danger to the predominantly fishing settlements near the coastline.
“The coastal communities and
surrounding communities are presently facing severe cases of oil pollution and
other toxic substances in the midst of the global pandemic.
“At the moment, marine life and the
lives of the people of these coastal areas are under severe threat.
“The entire water body surrounding
these communities have been severely despoiled by oil spillage and other toxic
substances.
“There are unconfirmed reports that
some of the major oil companies operating in these areas may have discharged
very dangerous toxic substances into their rivers and creeks; coupled with oil
spills which have resulted in the death of marine and aquatic life.
“These multinationals operating in
the region care less about the environmental and economic impact of their oil
explorative and extractive activities.
There major goal is profit and not safety.
.
“The leadership of IYC would not sit
idly and watch any community in Ijaw land or Niger Delta being destroyed
by the avarice and greed of people who have not and are not contributing to the
economic wellbeing of the Country.
.
"The Council is calling on relevant
government institutions and agencies to swiftly come to the aid of these Ijaw
Communities to mitigate the effect of the oil pollution and the discharge
of toxic substances that are presently destroying aquatic and marine life.
“Government institutions; such as
the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), National
Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
“Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) and Environmental rights Organizations; locally and International
should rise to the occasion and put an end; to the senseless and meaningless
destruction of smarine life.
“The dangers posed also include the
lives of humans and the ecosystem by these Oil Majors,” Olorogun said.
.
They demanded that a high powered
investigative panel should be set up by the federal government where
appropriate sanctions would be meted out to anyone or organization found
culpable.
The youth leader said that in line
with the ‘Polluter pays principle, the culprit would be prevailed to pay
compensation to the people of the area, in order to serve as a deterrent to other
companies and organizations.
" We have a government that has
deliberated refused to send palliatives in this period of national and
global lockdown to Communities in the Niger Delta. And they say we are 'One
Nigeria'.
“A time will come and very soon when
resources found in our area would be used to develop our communities alone.
“Oil bearing communities in the
Niger Delta are suffering severely under the yoke of mindless and barbaric
exploitation of the resources in the region.
“Before the federal government
declared lockdown in some States including the FCT, Communities in the Niger
Delta were already in economic and environmental lockdown.
“ The people living in these
communities no longer see themselves as citizens of Nigerian. Something needs
to be done urgently.
“The extent of environmental
pollution in the area is alarming. The death rate from oil and gas
explorative activities of these multinationals exceeds what the world now know
as the novel Coronavirus,” Olorogun lamented..
However, Mr Idris Musa, the Director-General of NOSDRA had said
the spill agency would deploy manpower and resources to the sites to commence
an investigation as soon as the lockdown for the COVID-19 is lifted.
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