Abuja (Sundiata Post) – A group, Environmental Centre for Oil Spill and Gas flaring (NACGOND) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to treat air quality issues in the oil rich Niger Delta region as environmental emergency.
The National Coordinator of the group, Rev.Fr.Edward Obi, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Port Harcourt to mark the 2019 world environment Day with the theme, “air pollution”.
The Catholic Priest noted air quality in the region has been grossly contaminated following the activities of oil and gas exploration firm operating in the area.
He said: “NACGOND decries the high level of toxicity in the air quality across the Niger Delta states. This is unarguably caused as a result of contamination of air by emission of harmful gaseous substances, such as dust particles smoke, soot as well as other particulate matter of category into the atmosphere.
“Business activities of the industrial sector and the activities of local crude oil business within the region, has causes farore damaging effects to human dignity than its supposed benefits.”
He noted these activities would continue to create havoc on human, lower animals and on plants with nothing being done about it.
He called on the levels of government to rise up to the occasion by enacting strong legislation and policies that would bring these activity under check for the health existence of man, animals and plants in the region.
He said: “The desire for collaboration between the Fedetal and state governments in terms and strong laws and policies targeting, the areas of public mode of transportation, improved solid waste management and green investment cannot be overemphasised.
“NACGOND is making a possible call on both the state and federal Government s to treat the air quality issues in the Niger Delta as an environmental emergency that requires drastic measures to save the lives of over 10 million people especially children and women in the region who are harmfully exposed to it.
“As a coalition, we shall not hesitate to call for mass action if it comes to that, so as to save the lives of innocent citizen s that waste away while others smile to the banks. At the same time, we offer those concerned our collaboration to bring this dangerous trend to an end for a clean, safe and flourishing Niger Delta region for all.”
The group maintained: “NACGOND is insisting that, while we are not completely opposed to industrial activities in the oil and gas within the Niger Delta, we are deeply concerned about how the business is being conducted. Oil and gas business in the region must not undermine the principles of biological integrity and human dignity.
“Such principle support right to life from and to a clean and healthy atmosphere for all which is one of several goals of Nigeria’s National Policy on environment, aimed at securing a quality of environment adquate for good health and well-being.
“These rights are inalienable as such and must not be revoked by any person or entity in any form and by any means. It is only ethical to always be reminded of the need for the oil companies and the government to respect other forms of lives who share in the common pool resources of the earth while doing their business, for it is only in this way that the tragedy of the commons may be averted.
” We are yet to see any deliberate step put in place to monitor social benefits and costs of habitual air contamination. However, it is rather disturbing that, the social cost of habitual air pollution and it’s attendant effects on people and the environment far outstrip any collective benefits therein it at all such exist.
“We call upon regulatory bodies of government, the legislature, oil companies, farmers environmentalists and we’ll meaning Nigerians to rise up to the challenge of clean air to save millions of people from untimely deaths.
‘The burning of fossil fuels, harmful agricultural practice involving bush burning, toxic emissions from factories, industries as well as gas flaring from numerous sites across the Next get Delta requires our coll cti e efforts to monitor so as to stem the tide against continued deterioration of the air quality in the Niger Delta region.
“It is only in so doing that, the dangers associated with the rise in respiratory and heart related problems which have become peculiar problems of the Niger Delta may be reduced. So also are the issues of global warming and climate change effects, which are already a toll on communities across the Niger Delta region.”
Culled from The Nation