| ABUJA – Dr Chris Eluemunoh, a delegate to the ongoing National Conference, has stressed the need for exploration companies in Nigeria to compensate host communities that have been polluted by their activities.
Eluemunoh, who is representing the South East Geo-Political Zone, said it was high time stringent measures were put in place to check pollution.
He urged the country to take a cue from the U.S., where host communities were compensated for any form of pollution caused as a result of exploration by industries.
“In the U.S. for instance, if there is environmental pollution in the form of oil spillage or other forms of pollution, people are compensated.
“Industries are made to pay for their recklessness or carelessness. You don’t have to punish the people because they have mineral resources in their area.
“Anyone who is exploring mineral resources in any area and there is oil spillage or whatever, you must pay for it,” he said.
The delegate advised industries to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on communities before proceeding with exploration.
He said that this was necessary to check if such exploration would be favourable or hazardous to the host community.
“Before you establish an industry, you have to really do some environmental inspections to determine whether it is suitable or hazardous for the community.
“Before any industry is built in any community, there must be an EIA,” he said.
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for convening the conference, adding that it would avail Nigerians the opportunity to present issues agitating their minds, including the issue of pollution of host communities. (NAN) |
