ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION...

...NGO wants Presidency to Compensate Impacted Oil Bearing Communities

A team of Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, in collaboration with environmental specialists have visited major oil producing communities in the Niger Delta Region for an on-the-spot assessment of the negative effects of crude oil and gas production in the region.

It was discovered that the major causes of environmental pollution in the affected communities were oil production activities which form the most prevalent issues in the environment.

The release of crude oil into the environment due to oil spills has attracted the attention of environmental experts and other relevant stakeholders worldwide.

CEPEJ officials and other environmentists were in the oil communities to ascertain the effects of oil spills with a view to finding solutions to them. Residents of some of the communities visited appealed to CEPEJ to convey their messages to the govt and other relevant and critical stakeholders on the need for them to help mitigate the problem of underdevelopment.

CEPEJ's role as an NGO is to advocate for and see to the reduction of the negative effects of crude oil production on the environment through collaboration with an environment specialist, Dr. J.E. Abdullahi in their visit to some affected communities to take samples of the soil, water, mud and affected trees. During the visit, Dr. Abdullahi showed the team the difference between polluted and non-polluted areas.

Another member of the team, Mr. John Akalawei, in one of the affected communities, appealed to the State and Federal Governments to rescue the land and the people's livelihood from the bad effects of oil exploitation and exploration activities causing loss of lives and property, as well as arable farmlands.

He appealed to the Federal Government and IOCs to regenerate the environment so that the indigenes can enjoy the dividends of democracy. He also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to compensate the people of the affected communities by providing them with good roads, functional health centers, schools and other social amenities.

CEPEJ which is in forefront of agitations for sustainable peace and environment in the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria and beyond has charged the Government at all levels to rise up to the task and come to the people's aid.

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