End Gas Flaring, Oil Pollution, HOMEF Tells Oil Companies In Rivers

Edith CHUKU

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation HOMEF, has called for an end to gas flaring and oil pollution, which they identified as one of the major challenges confronting the people of Rivers State.

The group also urged the oil companies to immediately commence clean up, remediation and reparation on oil impacted areas, to cover for the losses and damages the people of the affected communities have experienced.

HOMEF is an ecological organisation advocating for environmental/climate justice and food sovereignty in Nigeria and Africa at large.

They believe that communities should be equipped to speak, protest against oppression and pollution in their environment.

The Lead, Fossil Politics Desk of HOMEF, Mr. Stephen Oduware, spoke at a one day capacity building workshop on environmental monitoring, community solidarity, integration and community responsibility,

The training which was held on Thursday, at the Koniju Ama Town Hall, Amanogo Boti, Okrika, in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, focused on educating the people on their right to a healthy and pollution free environment.

HOMEF also enlightened the participants on how to practically build community centered network to advocate for justice and ensure that they get the good life they yearned for.

The workshop was attended by representatives from eleven communities across Okrika, Ogu/Bolo, and Port Harcourt Cityscape Local Government Areas.

He explained that HOMEF was in Okrika to have a capacity sharing and building workshop to advocate for justice and for the good life that they yearned for.

Oduware noted that HOMEF organised the workshop to achieve three things, which he listed to be; the recognition of the rights of the community people, the protection of their rights and ultimately, their need to be supported for Okrika community to thrive again.

He explained that, “in the course of the meeting, we had sessions where we basically gave out all the elements needed to build community solidarity, integration and responsibilities, and to entrench that common sense of responsibility amongst ourselves as community people. We went further to have trainings on environmental monitoring, reporting, organising and advocacy, where we highlighted different indicators that monitors should look out for and advocate for.

“We also touched on how to build an effective network and alliances to carry out these advocacy all for the betterment of the community, to entrench a sense of that right and Justice that the community so deserve.

“We know that this community is on one hand sandwiched by the impact of climate change, sea level rise, coastal erosion and all of that.

“On the other hand, the impact of oil spills in the community, that alone is a huge challenge and the route to recovery is actually problematic because the communities are not been heard, inspite of the impact they are facing.

“So, we have come here to strengthen ourselves, to tell them that we are with them, including the media, to ensure that that right is preserved, protected and that they have the right to a healthy and pollution free environment.”

Also speaking, one of the facilitators, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor spoke on the importance of oneness in the community and how they can leverage on solidarity to be able to achieve things for themselves and for their development.

He charged the Okrika people to keep being together as one and forget issues around culture, social inclusiveness or exclusiveness, economic barriers, religion, gender and race but come together as a community to speak with one voice.

On their parts, the Okrika natives who attended the training took turns to appreciate HOMEF for the workshop which they described as timely.

Mr. Bakaye Tamunosiki Donald, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent lamented that, “Okrika people have suffered greatly, because of the environmental problems we have lost alot of our fishing settlements. Because of this impact of environment we have lost it all but with this programme I think we are taking something home.”