From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Due to severe cases of despoliation of the ecosystem and its devastating effect on the lives of oil producing communities in Bayelsa State, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an environmental rights group, has trained no fewer than 60 residents of oil bearing communities in the state.
The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, who spoke to a cross section of volunteers during the training over the weekend in Ikarama community, Yenagoa Local Government Area, said that a safe environment was fundamental to support lives and livelihood.
According to him, there is a need for people, who reside near oil and gas fields, to remain vigilant in conserving the environment. While urging the people to ensure that the economic interests of investors do not threaten the environment, he stresses the need to raise volunteers who will defend the ecosystem from degradation and pollution.
Bassey noted that the Ikarama community was the worst hit by oil spill in the Niger Delta region. He, therefore, advised them to develop the skills to ‘listen to the environment’ by responding to human activities that distort the ecosystem.
Bassey made reference to an incident where a youth leader of the community wanted to use his farm for fish farming, only to find out that oil was oozing from the ground.
“We heard Shell has come here to take samples but up till now, we have not had the result released. We want the result to be released as it is ready.
“The Ministry of Environment, the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA), and those from the Federal ministry should be involved too.
“We are having contamination not just from this location here, it is very important for the oil community because we are having oil facilities that transverse Ikarama community and other Niger Delta communities,” he said.
He recommended clean up for the people that had been badly affected by oil spill cases in the Niger Delta region.
Also speaking, Mr Alagoa Morris, an environmentalist, said that monitoring the environment demanded factual and evidence-based data collection, recording and reporting.