Group Seeks Technology Transfer In Extractive Communities
2 min readChinecherem Doris ANYANEBECHI, PH
A Non-Governmental Organization, Womin Africa Alliance has called on African countries with mineral resources such gold, oil, gas and copper to immediately seek for transfer technology as a means to benefit from the many years of neglect.
The group made the call at the end of an exchange visit and knowledge sharing in three states of the Niger Delta. The states visited are Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers State.
WoMin is a non-governmental organization based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that works with women activists, communities and organizations where mining activities have impacted the people negatively, with a view to assisting them on campaign against environmental degradation and poverty. Over eleven countries are member of the network.
Speaking with our correspondent shortly after the event, the Executive Director, Kebetchache Women Development and Resource Centre, Emem Okon, explained that the exchange visit of women from Botswana and Sierra Leone was to share first- hand knowledge and information on how oil exploration has negatively affected the life of local community people where development have eluded them for ages, especially water, electricity, good road, health services, and even education as their livelihood have been totally destroyed.
Okon whose organization hosted the delegates maintained that the lesson learnt from the exchange visit was huge, noting that the experience from the Niger Delta was to make the other African countries avoid the pitfalls by people of the Niger Delta.
A member of the governing council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) , Comrade Celestine Akpobari told participants how the Oginis raised the alarm on the rate of the environmental degradation that brought the attention of the United Nation Environmental Program UNEP by the federal government to study the environment which later turn to Ogoni clean up. He stressed that HYPREP will do everything possible to do the needful and fulfil it mandate.
Also speaking, some of the delegates from Botswana and Sierra Leone, Chief Nxuka Xishee, Sharon Gumbo, Tony Sisolai said they benefited from the exchange visit but they shared the same sad experience from their country where mining activities had impacted the people negatively. They blamed African leaders for their corrupt tendencies and the zeal to work with the capitalist to impoverish the local community people.