Continued pollution in Niger Delta worries stakeholders

…As fresh calls for cleanup rise

Stakeholders in the environment ecosystem have called for the urgent cleanup of Niger Delta region, emphasising that pollution has fueled crisis and loss of livelihoods in communities of the region.

They held out the media as the last hope for remedying the oil region because, as they stated, nobody cares about the environment of the Niger Delta. They said the media have the duty to continually report the issues of the Niger Delta environment so as to draw local and international attention to the plights of communities of the region.

The stakeholders made the submissions at the opening ceremony of the Correspondents’ Week of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), with theme: “The Imperatives of Comprehensive Clean-Up of the Niger Delta Environment: Role of the Media”, with support from Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Nigeria LNG and Kebetkeche Women Development Centre, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday.

Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, who was keynote speaker, said time has come for audit of the environment of the Niger Delta to prepare ground for cleanup of the oil region. He said the exercise was overdue.

In his goodwill message, Opaka Dokubo, the National Vice President, Zone F, of the NUJ decried the plight of mangrove forests that had provided livelihoods for local communities but have been converted to tank farms, thereby fueling poverty and hunger. He thanked the chapel for sustaining the yearly event.

On her part, Constance Meju, a chief and environmental activist, tasked journalists to humanise their environment stories, stating that the situation of the Niger Delta has been underreported. “Crime has continued to increase in the region because we have lost our sources of livelihoods,” she stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, Amaechi Okonkwo, chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, stated that the event was a solemn call to conscience. “It is a call to action on one of the most critical issues confronting our region and indeed our nation — the continued degradation of the Niger Delta environment and the urgent need for a holistic and comprehensive clean-up.”

Okonkwo said the Chapel had pursued the Blue Economy championing but that experts advised that without cleanup, the oil region could hardly pursue the Blue Economy.

“Our land, rivers, creeks, and forests have suffered extensive pollution arising from oil exploration and exploitation activities, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, gas flaring, and years of environmental neglect.

He said this informed the theme for this year’s Correspondents’ Week. “The future of the Niger Delta depends greatly on the decisions we make today regarding environmental remediation, sustainable development, and responsible governance,” he said.

Okonkwo tasked the media to sustain the call for the cleanup of the entire region so as to safeguard future generations.

“As journalists and media practitioners, we understand that the media occupies a strategic position in shaping public discourse and influencing policy direction. Beyond reporting events, the media must continue to serve as the voice of vulnerable communities, the watchdog of society, and the platform for accountability.

“The media must sustain advocacy for environmental protection by drawing attention to ecological challenges facing our communities, amplifying the cries of affected citizens, and holding governments, multinational corporations, and all relevant stakeholders accountable to their environmental responsibilities.

“We must also continue to educate the public on environmental sustainability and support initiatives aimed at restoring the ecosystem of the Niger Delta for present and future generations,” he stated.