Environment
Foundation Wants Govt To End Fossil Fuel
As reactions trail the theme of the just concluded world Enviroment day, a non-governmental organisation, Vivian Bellow Foundation has urged for appropriate policies that will put an end to fossil fuels in the country. The foundation said this in a press release to mark the World Enviroment Day celebration in Port Harcourt. It said the ongoing exploration of crude oil around the Chad basin and part of the North shows that the country is not ready to end fossil fuels exploration. According to the foundation, ‘World Environment Day, with theme ‘Solutions to Plastic Pollution’, a very suspicious moment for the country to pause and take an intrinsic look at its environment balance sheet/score card as a nation. It commended the United Nations for taking up very seriously issues concerning the environment.
“With issues bothering Environment/Climate Change taking the front row of priorities for both the United Nations and virtually all countries across the globe generally, and with the increasingly huge and potent threat and disruptions climate change continues to pose to all segments of human existence and endeavours across the board, the priority and urgency are by no wise misplaced.” It further added that Nigeria must abide by the Paris Agreement for which she is a signatory.
“The Paris Agreement came into effect on November 4, 2016. Nigeria, as well as over 195 countries signed unto, an Accord that binds nations to actions that will keep global temperature within1.5`c, which is imperative to help save the planet from total destruction from climate-fueled catastrophe. On its own too and leaning largely on the Accord, ‘Nigeria has developed and set out for itself other elaborate environmental and climate goals including the National Determined Contribution (NDC), the Climate Change Act 2021, National Council on Climate Change inaugurated in 2022, the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management ban on single-use plastic from 2028 amongst other national frameworks and policies. It also has a full fledged Environment ministry, the Department of Climate Change, all seeming to show the country’s commitment to the environment.
“However, commendable as these may appear, a closer examination of steps, actions, and activities in regard to the attainment of the Country’s Climate Goals shows not only a wide gap between these Goals and actual actions but to a significant extent, even outright contradictions,”the group said. According to the foundation, to all intent and purposes, the country has seemed to shun or rather chose to turn a blind eye to the unmitigated perils of Fossils and has shockingly, instead of doubling -down on these, upped the ante by committing billions of Naira to explore for fossil fuels in the shores of Chad Basin, commissioning new crude production upstarts in the inlands of States as Nassarawa, Borno, Kogi, Anambra etc in appalling walk-away from both its domestic climate policies and frameworks as well as it’s international obligations.
Nigeria has only recently commissioned a fossil refining complex (Dangote Refinery) that is famed as the biggest in Africa and among the largest in the world. Many have hailed this crude refinery complex as a great business acumen but in all of it and when the seeming euphoria around it all dies down, the reality that stares all in the face and from which no one can run is that the Climate/Environment takes the hit from it all.
“In both the new crude projects and the existing ones, as well as the upcoming ones combined, billions of Dollars have been invested into them, showing clearly, beyond its lip service and rhetorics of a Green Economy or fighting climate change, where its priorities lie. Nigeria’s shyness on the climate front actually illustrates the tensions between solving the climate crisis and developing countries along the “Western” model of resource-intensive economic growth. Indeed, Nigeria is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, especially on agriculture, coastal flooding, and desertification. Yet its economy is sensitive to policies that would reduce oil demand. This might go far in helping us understand how a country that actively strives to lead West Africa and the rest of the continent in so many other areas, including trade and security, has been mostly quiet on climate actions, While other countries around the world are tediously pushing to exit their economies from dirty fuels and climate-destroying economic, consumption, living, and business patterns, taking in many cases hard decisions and enacting and strictly enforcing non-compromising environmental and climate-conscious legal instruments, policies, and actions, Nigeria on the other hand, seems to be sleep-walking boldly into climate crisis. The foundation also described the theme of the celebration which is Beat Plastic Pollution as apt.
To be clear, the theme of this year’s World Envirnment Day (WED); #Solutions to Plastic Pollution, is very apt to Nigeria; all plastics originate from petroleum crude. They are largely non-biodegradable and constitute about the largest source of pollution globally and compromise nature’s biodiversity, food security, sanitation, public health, fuel poverty, and conflicts among several other implications it portends. Given its root, sources and origin, and beyond the efforts at tackling it with recycling and etc, which has only produced very weak results, tackling it from its root, that is, doing away with fossil fuel petroleum crude will ultimately stifle it’s supply breadth-line and steadily bring an end to the crisis of plastic pollution and a healthy planet which is a win-win for all.
Until this is done, particularly by countries such as Nigeria whose government has demonstrated near-zero interest in transitioning the economy to a clean and climate friendly one, humanity especially in this part of the world will continue to live with not just a continuation, but now amplified climate crisis of massive flooding, relentless draught, food crisis, sea-level rise, extreme weather conditions amongst others. With the level of contribution that Nigeria is making via fossil fuels to global warming. It added that there’s no gainsaying that Nigeria’s Climate Credentials need to be re-evaluated. Here in Nigeria, young people’s involvement particularly on the theme is also crucial and indispensable to achieving set goals in ending plastic pollution specifically as well as on climate goals generally. It noted that as part of effort to sensitise people on the dangers of plastic pollution we will be mobilising the School Eco Clubs across Nigeria facilitating a “Community Cleanup Plastic Audit” across school communities in Nigeria. This will seek to remove the country from sitting among the top 20 countries contributing to marine plastic pollution in the world.
We hope that the new administration will seek to strengthen existing frameworks with the School Eco-Club Community for fruitful engagement and real progress.
By: John Bibor
Some residents of Port Harcourt and its environs have reacted to the impending flooding in parts of the country, including Rivers state.
It would be recalled that the federal government last week predicted flooding in some states in the country, including Rivers State.
A cross session of residents who spoke to The Tide on the issue said time has come for residents to be careful about the way they managed their waste, especially at this time of the year.
According to them, people must avoid blocking water channels as well as indiscriminate dumping of waste into water channels.
Speaking with The Tide, an Environmentalist, Elder Blessing Jackson Tiko, called for caution by residents of Port Harcourt and its environs
Tiko who was a former deputy operational officer Phalga Environmental Sanitation Taskforce, said people must be conscious of the way and manner that they manage their waste.
“We know that we have the rain and if you watch it is coming especially this month of July,it would rain and rain and rain
“We have to be very conscious of how we manage our environmental system, the way we throw our waste and how we evacuate it so that every where will be open for water to move freely
“Water doesn’t want blockage, water wants free flow, ’he said
Tiko urged state governments to liaise with the federal government and development agencies to dredge and open up river channels to enable Water move freely.
He particularly called on the Niger Delta Basine Development Authority and the Niger Delta Development Commission to liaise with state governments in the quest to end flooding in the states.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alice. A. Alabo a trader at Mile 3 Port Harcourt, urged the state government to do something on the constant flooding at the Abuja bypass in Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt,
She said the bypass is always flooded at every little rainfalls stressing that something must be done about it.
Alabo also told The Tide Correspondents that the Abuja bypass has no receptacles and called on the management of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to provide receptacles for the people, to ensure proper waste disposal in the area.
“The government should provide us with receptacles for us to properly place our waste which is causing the flooding in the area.
A shop owner Dickey, Livia Marko lemanted the incessant flooding along the Abuja bypass, adding that the situation is affecting their businesses.
“We have been begging the Rivers State Government and the local government to come to our aid.
“The Ego Line Progressive Union contributes N10,000 every year to make sure that we evacuate the drainage.
“We called the Hausa boys to come and clean from the beginning to the end of the tunnel which leads to the Interwoba
“So immediately after each rainfall within 10 minutes it will dry otherwise we cannot stay in our shop.
“I am begging the government to come to our rescue, even if they want to open the gutter or canal. It will help in preventing the flooding or they should clean the gutters starting from Ikwerre Road to the Interwoba axis”, he said
On his part,Mr. Ajaka Olawa, lamented that the flooding in Timber area by Abuja bypass area is so terrible that no businesses can easily be carried on in the area.
He blamed it on the continuous blockage of drainages
. “I can’t remember the last time the government came to clean the drainage, so when it rains we find it difficult to stay here.
“Some of our shops are wet because of the flooding. And if the rain falls heavily, we pack our goods. If not. they get damaged, and I am expecting this message to reach the government for them to do something about it”
“The people, the government gives the job are not being followed up, that’s why the road is still looking bad,
“The government is trying, but they should put more effort to make sure that the jobs are being carried out.
Also, Mr. Chukuma said, during the flooding along Abuja bypass by Timber, no activities take place.
He said that if rain falls, either little or heavy, none can use the road because the road will be inundated by water. Sometimes it takes two to three days for the water to dry.
According to him, eight years ago, the former governor was here to see things for himself, but nothing happened till he left office.
By: Victoria Gilbert / Ossia Victory
Following the rising impact of toxic waste in the Niger Delta communities in Nigeria, an Ecological Think Tank, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has urged oil-producing communities in the region to monitor their environment and report incidents of pollution or other environmental hazards in real time to appropriate authorities.
The Project Manager, Communities and Culture, HOMEF, Cadmus Atake gave the advice last Friday during a Community Environmental Monitoring Training for the people of Nembe, Town-Brass in Bayelsa and Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom States respectively which was held in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Atake said though the extractive activities of oil companies have impacted negatively on the communities, the people still have a role to play in protecting the environment by not throwing plastics in the water bodies or engaging in activities inimical to the environment.
He said, “The purpose is to train the people on how they can monitor their environment that has been impacted by extractive activities, for them to observe the changes that occur in their environment and things they see when they go out to fish.”
Atake also harped on the need for documentation and reporting of the identified environmental challenges or pollution, saying that monitoring without reporting would be an effort in futility even as he tasked them with the accuracy, authenticity and originality of data without any mutilation.
He encouraged people to use mobile phones to take real-time photos and videos without editing the images in the case of pollution or oil spills.
His words, “Reporting is an essential aspect of any monitoring activity. It affords the opportunities to track the activity and its impacts. It makes an activity visible and draws attention to it. Also, it helps to identify associated risks and to know the required controls and learning outcomes needed to prevent the reoccurrence of failures of an activity. No monitoring exercise is complete without a report of observations and a point of action.
“You must identify what caused the pollution, state the name of the community and landmark and if possible, use GPS, time and date the pollution was observed.”
One of the participants, OmusuoDieworio from Bayelsa State noted that apart from the activities of the multinationals, the people have contributed to the disappearance of fishes in the rivers by dumping refuse and plastic wastes inside the river which posed a great threat to fishes even as he urged community leaders to promulgate laws prohibiting that and the youth leaders to ensure the enforcement.
“Our people should be sensitized on the hazards of toxic waste. We should put laws that are binding on us. Our fishermen should discipline themselves enough after drinking sachet water eating should not drop the waterproof inside the water. They should also be discouraged from using dynamite and other chemicals for fishing as all these are harmful to both the aquatic animals and human beings that will consume it.” He said.
Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, UmoIsua-Ikoh of the Peace Pact Development Foundation, said the provision in the PIA where the community should forfeit its 3% development fund in case of pipeline vandalism criminalizes the community and should be expunged noting that no community will agree to vandalize pipeline but an individual or a criminal.
He said they should go after anyone who vandalises pipelines and not make the entire community bear the brunt of one person.
On his part, Stephen Oduware, the Program Manager at Fossil Politics, called on the communities to network with CSOs, CBOs, doctors, lawyers, media especially those from their communities and other community members who have the community at heart to advocate at all fronts.
“The community people should partner with CSOs, CBOs so that they will be able to advocate from all fronts from the health implication of this pollution from the legal and human right violations as a result of this pollution, land grabbing and then they will be able to get well-researched works from the academics, we believe that with this network they will be able to push for the justice they needed.” He said.
The Delta State Govern-
ment says it is working hard to tackle the issue of climate change in the state.
Special Adviser to the state Governor on Sustainable Development Goals) (SDGs, Lady Diana Eyo _Enoette, said this in an interview with newsmen during the launching of Green City Project in Port Harcourt.
She said the government was doing this by raising awareness on the impact of climate change in the State and also control the indiscriminate dumping of waste across the State.
Eye-Emoette said government has also setup scouts across the State to embark on tree planting campaign in all nooks and crannies of Delta State.
She said time has come for governments across the Niger Delta region to create more awareness on climate change, adding that continuous human activities in the region have made it vulnerable to climate change
Diana described her government as a leading voice on climate change as far as the Niger Delta region is concerned and stressed the need for other governments in the region to follow suit.
She said Green City’s initiatives have become a potent weapon in fighting climate change, stressing that the initiative is coming at the appropriate time.
The special advise said governments across the country should key into the green city’s projects inorder to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a university teacher, Professor Magnus Onuoha, has called for conscious efforts by governments across Africa to check carbon emissions.
The university teacher also described the green city’s initiatives as a safe avenue for emerging cities in Africa.
Prof Onuoha, who spoke via videophone described the project as innovative, adding that climate change is real and no longer fallacies.
According to him “it is glaringly telling on our faces and the possibility of it going away is not there”.
He said.
By: John Bibor
