Women Advocate Zero Gas Emission in Niger Delta

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Hundreds of women from Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State have advocated for zero emission in the Niger Delta region.

The women, who hail from crude oil-impacted communities in Ogoni, also joined environmental justice advocates globally to demand climate Justice.

The women spoke yesterday at a climate change programme organised by Lokiaka Community Development Centre at Saakpenwa, Tai Local Government Area of the state.

The Executive Director of Lokiaka, Mrs. Martha Agbani-Barinuazor, said the event is in commemoration with the world demand on climate justice.

Agbani-Barinuazor said: “Today, all over the world, environmental enthusiasts and lovers of justice are mobilising and marching for environmental justice calling on world governments at the 26th Conference of Party (COP 26) on Climate Change to implement the Paris Agreement and other outcomes of previous COPs to end the global climate crisis.

“Lokiaka Community Development Centre was, therefore, doing so in solidarity and pushing for zero emission in Ogoni land and the Niger Delta region.”

She said the action was very timely owing to the fact that nations are already transitioning to renewable and more sustainable energy, adding that Nigerian Government still reserved 30 percent of its oil revenue derivation for new oil operations.

The Lokiaka chief said she and participants at the programne would be culminating the day’s event with a climate justice march.

The women were lectured on the theme: ‘Climate Change, Zero Emissions and Oil Resumption in Ogoni’.

The lecture raised salient issues that have militated against human existence, including their health, reproduction, livelihoods and culture.

Most of them were traced to anthropogenic actions like crude oil spills, timber logging, fetching of fire woods, bush burning and artisanal refining of crude oil.

Participants were urged to be environmental justice ambassadors starting from their homes in order to reduce energy consumption, emissions and play advisory roles to their neighbours.

Participants, who rallied at the major roads of East/West and Saakpenwa-Kono Road with inscriptions on their T-shirts, after the lecture, said they want drinking water in Ogoni land, climate justice and zero emission in the region.

Meanwhile, participants at the event expressed gratitude for the lecture, saying it has given them clear understanding of what climate change is, especially on what they are experiencing in their communities.

Mrs. Barilugbene Baale of Kwawa community said: “Now I understand why dead fishes are found in our river and why our seafood is gone, it is because of oil spill.”

Also, Mrs. Ledi Gboro from K-Dere community said she was going to mobilise more women to increase their campaign for proper environmental cleanup.