AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, COALITION GROUP CALL FOR DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY IN NIGER-DELTA 19-12-24
By Sadiq Aminu Amnesty International and Coalition of over fifty Civil Society Organizations have called for the declaration of State of Emergency in Niger-Delta to help address environmental degradation and Health Challenges being faced in the region as a result of the activities of Oil Companies.
Amnesty International and other Coalition of Civil Society Organizations at a news briefing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja also called on President Bola Tinubu and National Assembly to immediately halt all divestment of oil assets initiated by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking during the brief, the leader of the Coalition and Founder of Health of Mother Earth Foundation HOMEF, Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, expressed grave concerns over the fate of millions of Nigerians’ impacted negatively by the exploration of crude oil across the oil producing communities as well as the environment.
Reverend Bassey, pointed out that the desired attention has not been given to the effect of oil exploration to the environment and the people especially the affected areas.
The Country Director Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, urged President Bola Tinubu to do the needful and not to allowed financial interest of few individuals at the detriment of majority of the people of the Niger-Delta who had suffered decades of environmental degradation.
Executive Director Tubali Women Initiative, Hauwa Mustapha, who complained that Local communities in Niger-Delta region are experiencing health and environmental challenges as a result of oil pollution, noted that the environmental degradation had also deepened the poverty level of the affected people.
Programme Manager Fossil Politics HOMEF, Stephen Oduware called on the Federal Government to some Oil Companies operating in the region accountable for the environmental damages that had caused sufferings to the people of the region.