Mr Nnimmo Bassey, member, Board of Trustees, Ogoni Clean-up Project, has urged the affected communities to support government’s efforts towards the project, by avoiding further pollution in the area.
Bassey made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt, after visiting some of the polluted communities in Ogoniland.
The environmentalist represents the Non-Governmental Organizations in the 13-member board appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“New pollution can occur where people tamper with oil installations and burn crude. It can also occur where companies burn gas.
“We cannot be cleaning up and continue to pollute; it does not make sense. So everybody should police the environment. Life is more valuable than oil,” he said.
The board member expressed optimism that the exercise was realisable and would come to fruition.