An environmental advocacy group, the Ogoni Liberation Initiatives, has raised the alarm over what it calls high concentration of hydrocarbon emissions that has polluted air, land and water in the entire Ogoni communities.
The Leader of the group, Dr Douglas Fabeke, who spoke with our reporter in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state, said that the environment which sustained livelihoods in Ogoni land, had been destroyed as a result of hydrocarbon emissions occasioned by oil exploration activities in the area.
He said on a daily basis, the inhabitants of Ogoni communities are down with one ailment or the other as a result hydrocarbon pollution inhaled from the air and those that pollute their drinking water and agricultural products.
He said there was a prevalence of cancerous diseases in the affected communities, adding that residents who are bearing the brunt of polluted environment are losing their lives on daily basis.
“Our entire environment has been devastated. Fishery has been destroyed through the pollution of aquatic habitats and highly persistent contamination of creeks. Land resources have been devastated through oil spills and associated fires which have killed vegetation and left a crust of ash and tar making revegetation difficult.
“As a result, Ogoni people are exposed to high concentrations of hydrocarbons in the air, in the water and land on daily basis. The Ogoni people have paid a high price for the economic growth of Nigeria,” he stated.
He frowned at the recent pipeline fire at B-Dare community in Gokana Local Government Area of the state, where arable farmlands were destroyed, saying that the incident is one out of many environmental pollutions that is responsible for high concentration of hydrocarbons in the area.
He called on relevant authorities as well as oil companies operating in the area to step up actions towards total remediation of the polluted communities.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
