Victor Ezeja
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called on international oil companies (IOCs) including Shell and ENI to contribute $12 billion for clean-up programme of the pollution they have caused in the State.
The governor stated this during the 42nd State Executive Council meeting at the Exco Chambers of Government House in Yenagoa, when he officially received the report by the Bayelsa State Oil & Environmental Commission.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Commission, which is chaired by the former Archbishop of York, Rt Rev the Lord Sentamu, published a report titled “An Environmental Genocide: The human and environmental cost of Big Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria” last year, unraveling the environmental, socio-economic, and health impacts of prolonged oil extraction in Bayelsa State.
The findings of the report reveal substantial evidence of negligence and neglect by international oil companies operating in the region, highlighting the need for urgent action.
The Governor lamented that Bayelsa State bears 25% of Nigeria’s oil pollution, adding that the once thriving ecosystem is now ravaged by pollution with its implications on the survival of communities in the state.
Diri stressed that in line with recommendation in the report, there it is need for concerted international action to mobilise and invest at least US $12 billion over the course of 12 years to repair the damages caused to the environment by oil and gas extraction activities over the decades and also lay the foundation for transition to use of renewable energy in sources in Bayelsa State.
“Our once-thriving ecosystems, now ravaged by pollution, threaten the very survival of our communities. In line with the measures recommended by the report, it is key to have a concerted international action to generate and invest at least US $12 billion over the course of 12 years to repair, remediate and restore the environmental and public health damage caused by oil and gas and to lay the foundations for Bayelsa’s just transition towards renewable energy and opportunities for alternative livelihoods.”
The governor who addressed the authors of the report, the Executive Council, traditional rulers and local representatives, also committed to the creation of a body to oversee the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations and ensure Bayelsa recovers from decades of environmental damage by the IOCs.
Speaking on the establishment of this new body the Governor said: “The magnitude of our challenges requires the involvement of global stakeholders; international alliances, compassionate nations, and responsible organisations willing to stand alongside us. This report cannot and will not just end up on the shelf, it must be and will be a blueprint for action.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
