HOMEF Tasks Rivers Stakeholders on Environmental Justice

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Stakeholders in Rivers State have been tasked on environmental justice in their various communities and to ensure that sources of climate crisis are maximally reduced.

The task was given by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), yesterday, at a one-day capacity building workshop on environmental monitoring, held in Okrika town, Okrika Local Government Area of the State.  

The workshop, which witnessed participants from Ogu/Bolo, Port Harcourt, Fiberesima, Dumo-Ama, Angugu-Biri, Bulome-Biri, Edereme-Biri, Awolome-Biri, Adedeme-Biri, Ngeme-Biri and Amanongo-Biri, focused on educating the people of the area on their right to a healthy and pollution free environment. 

THISDAY observed that participants at the workshop were trained on how to build community centered network to advocate for justice and ensure that the Okrika populace gets the good life they yearn for. 

 Speaking with journalists at the event, the HOMEF Programme Manager, Mr. Stephen Oduware, called for an end to gas flaring, oil pollution which he identified as major challenges confronting the people. 

 Oduware emphasised the need for a clean-up, remediation and reparation, to cover for the loss and damages the people of the community have experienced and still experiencing.

 He explained: “We came to Okrika to have a meeting with the Okrika people, from about 11 communities from the Okrika axis including Ogu/Bolo, to have a capacity sharing and building workshop on environmental monitoring, community solidarity, so as to practically build that community centered network to advocate for justice and for the good life that they yearn for. 

“In the course of the meeting, we had sessions where we basically gave out all the elements needed to build community solidarity, integration and responsibilities, and to entrench that common sense of responsibility amongst ourselves as community people.” 

 “”We went further to have trainings on environmental monitoring, reporting, organising and advocacy, where we highlighted different indicators that monitors should look out for and advocate for.” 

 Oduware continued that the participants were also trained on how to build an effective network and alliances to carry out advocacy for the betterment of the community, and entrench a sense of that right and Justice that the community so deserve. 

 “We are asking for three things; the rights of this community people need to be recognised, protected and ultimately, they need to be supported. This community need to thrive again.”

 Responding to questions on the needs and challenges identified in Okrika that necessitated the workshop, the HOMEF programme manager said: “We know that this community is on one hand sandwiched by the impact of climate change, sea level rise, coastal erosion and all of that.” 

 “On the other hand, the impact of oil spills in the community, that alone is a huge challenge and the route to recovery is actually problematic because the communities are not been heard, inspite of the impact they are facing. 

“So, we have come here to strengthen ourselves, to tell them that we are with them, including the media, to ensure that that right is preserved, protected and that they have the right to a healthy and pollution free environment.” 

The facilitators, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor spoke on the importance of oneness in the community and how the community people can leverage on solidarity to be able to achieve things for themselves and for their development.