8m residents of 730 Niger Delta communities ravaged by diseases, deaths

ABOUT 8 million rural folks from 730 communities across the sea coast of Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos states are currently being ravaged by hunger, diseases and deaths.

These are allegedly the direct and indirect effects of the SNEPCo Bonga crude oil spills of December 2011 and July 2017 as well as the harmful chemicals Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) allegedly sprayed to disperse the spills.

The spills are said to be contaminating and degrading the natural ecological resources and fishing activities within the communities’ fishing grounds at the sea, rivers and creeks which the rural folks depend on for a living year round.

Shoreline Communities of Nigeria, in a press statement signed by Rev. Mathias Esemore, Lagos, Pst. A. J. B. Palimote, Bayelsa, Chief H. Fombo, Rivers, Pa. A. Ofoeyeno, Delta, Chief. G. Ojajune, Ondo and Chief P. Bamgnoye, Ogun, obtained by Nigerian Tribune in Warri, called on the federal government and the international community, among others to intervene.

                                                                                                            ALSO READ: Bayelsa fishermen seeks govt intervention to halt trawlers incursion

“We are appealing that the Federal Government of Nigeria, National Assembly, European Union, United Kingdom, United Nations and all other international communities as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministries of Health, Environment, Transport, Petroleum Resources, Agriculture and Water Resources as well as Ecological Fund Office, National Emergency Management Agency, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Department of Petroleum Resources, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians should kindly and urgently intervene in this matter,” the community coordinating group noted.

The group requested from the FG and others to assist the communities in the area of provision of relief materials, fishing nets, accessories, boats, boreholes and health centres in each of the affected 21 local government areas in order to cushion the effects of the pollutants, pending the restoration of the contaminated natural resources, fishing grounds and dead aquatics and the payment of compensation to communities and affected persons.