Executive Secretary of Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, (GIFSEP), Michael David, made the call at a photo exhibition on Ogoni land, a programme tagged: “Power up for climate solutions”.
David who is also a Co-convener of the Power Up project decried the environmental degradation as a result of oil spill and extraction in the Niger Delta.
“We need to call on the attention of world leaders on the most polluted places of the world, the people of Ogoni are Nigerians and their children will inherit a land that is almost remediation and this calls for alarm.
“There is urgent need for serious action. Despite the intervention by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) the issues of pollution in Ogoniland is still there.
“And so we are saying that as we head towards COP 28 we need to begin the phase out of fossil fuels it is not doing us any good. We know the country depends so much on fossil fuels for our revenue,” he said.
The Co-convener added that the dependence on fossil fuels is to the detriment of Nigeria’s environment and urged all Nigerians to look at alternatives.
“International standards must be maintained in the exploration of crude oil in Nigeria so that this environmental degradation and constant oil spill and all the issues surrounding fossil fuels in Nigeria must be taken care of.
“Power up Day of Action is a day set aside to look into issues of climate as we head together COP 28 at Dubai,” he further stated.
The project Power Up which is a global event slated for Nov. 3 to Nov. 5 with a theme “Power up Ogoni” showcased various categories of oil spill in the Niger Delta in a photo exhibition.
The Executive Director, Society for Women and Youth Affairs Ogoni, Stella Amanie, decried the level of environmental injustice in Ogoni and called on the government for immediate intervention.
“We demand for an immediate and comprehensive health auditor of the entire people of Ogoni as well as the speedy clean up and the restoration of the Ogoni environment.
“Over decades, crude oil and gas extracted from our region accounts for an overwhelming percentage of Nigeria’s revenues,” she said.
Project Coordinator, Global Power Day of Action Nigeria, Akintunde Akinmolayan, said that the 2023 Global Power Day of Action focused on Ogoniland where there has been decades of environmental degradation due to oil exploration with low response to tackle it.
“All over the world fossil fuels has only been of benefit to the few. Ogoniland is one of the worst oil polluted regions in the world and the constant pollution are on the rise as the year goes by,” he said.
Similarly, the Co-project Coordinator Global Power Day of Action, Terrence Jeiyor, said that climate challenges are ravaging the world.“There is the need for our government to put an end to the use of fossil fuels and redirect people to using solar energy to power millions of homes all over the world.”
Tokoni Ngeribika, an indigene of Okrika Local Government Area, a neighboring town to Ogoniland frowned at the activities of oil exploration in the area. “Okirika community is the community which is the host for the oil companies where the products are being off loaded.
“Our greatest occupation in the area is fishing but has now been distorted by oil pollution,” he lamented.
(NAN)