Stakeholders from the Niger Delta have expressed worries about the devastating impact of oil pollution in the region.
Speaking at the International Conference on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, noted that the oil boom has brought doom to the people of Bayelsa, turning the state’s rivers into toxic waste streams.
The governor lamented that the once-thriving fishing and farming industries have been destroyed, leaving generations without a livelihood.
Governor Diri cited a report by the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission (BSOEC) report, stating that the human and environmental costs of oil pollution have led to a tragic loss of life, with the state’s life expectancy level at 50, hence the urgent need for action to address the environmental and social danger unfolding in the Niger Delta.
Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Senator Seriake Dickson, restated Governor Diri’s insights, highlighting the devastating impact of oil pollution in Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the International Conference on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition, the former Bayelsa State governor recalled statements by the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, highlighting the stark reality that oil is valued more than human life in the Niger Delta region.
Senator Dickson commended the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission (BSOEC) for using the term “genocide” to describe the environmental issues, stressing that oil companies knowingly exploit weak regulatory systems and institutions.
He stressed the need to hold those responsible for exploitation of oil in oil producing states accountable, noting that the world is transitioning from fossil fuels, and Nigeria must prepare for a future with clean energy.
Senator Dickson further said that all hands must be on deck to make Bayelsa State safe again as the world moves towards Just Transition.
