N/Delta Oil Communities Facing Extinction From Gas Flaring, Spills, NGOs Warn

As Nigeria joined the rest of the international community to commemorate the World Earth Day (WED), a coalition of non governmental organisations (NGOs) have drawn the attention of the federal government and other subnational authorities to the plights of residents of oil communities in the Niger Delta region.

The Network Advancement Program for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPDRR) working in alliance with the Global Greengrants Fund (GGF) and other agencies have launched a multi million naira energy transition project aim at reducing the effects of gas flaring and fossil fuels emissions in the oil belt of Akwa Ibom State.

The NAPPDRR executive director, Hon. Enem Edoho, on advocacy visit to the paramount ruler of Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State, Edidem ECD Abia, wife and other traditional rulers, explained that the devastating impact of oil spills, wanton gas flaring by oil firms and carbon pollutions have placed residents under clear danger of extinction if urgent remediation efforts were not in place to stem the scourge.

Urging the royal family and other agencies to be in the vanguard of the sustainable action to rescue the environment from being overwhelmed by deadly pollutants, Edoho, maintained that only such intervention strategies would go a long way to safeguard humanity, environment and the aquatic ecosystems from looming devastation.

Responding, the paramount ruler, His Royal Majesty, Edidem ECD Abia, who was represented by his wife,Obonganwan Mandu Abia, commended the NGO for working collaboratively with other friends of the earth to save the environment and humanity from pollution and other greenhouse emissions.

She lamented that pest infestations on crops have contributed immensely to acute agricultural underdevelopment, scarcity of food and farm produce, thereby exacerbating the prevailing hunger in the country and called for a holistic action plan by the government at all levels and stakeholders to save the situation.