By: Odieh Ramon, Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa State Government has urged the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to adopt a more pragmatic approach in addressing the issue of environmental remediation in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call over the weekend during a courtesy visit by officials of the Bayelsa Field Office of NESREA led by the state Coordinator, Mr St. Nwakwoala, to his office in Government House, Yenagoa.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, the Deputy Governor described Bayelsa as the headquarters of environmental pollution and ecological destruction in the Niger Delta, following over six decades of crude oil exploration and exploitative activities.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo noted that Bayelsa’s case was worse than that of Ogoni in Rivers State, and stressed the need for the federal agency to join hands with the State government in seeking environmental justice and not just be content with being part of joint investigation teams to visit oil spill sites.
He said due to heavy pollution of water bodies by oil spills and emissions from seismic activities, the aquatic life and source of drinking water in most rural communities had been contaminated and rendered unsafe for human consumption.
It was against this backdrop that the Bayelsa Deputy Governor charged NESREA and other relevant agencies to ensure that all extant environmental laws of the country were enforced to hold the oil companies accountable for damaging the environment of the entire Niger Delta region.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, equally expressed concern over the unrestricted and arbitrary use of herbicides by local farmers who have little or no knowledge about the safety precautions to apply in using such herbicides, thereby contaminating food crops to cause potential health and environmental hazards.
In response to the issue of employing Bayelsans in NESREA as well as aggressive sensitization on the harmful effects of pollution, he directed the state Coordinator to liaise with the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Irorodamie Komonibo, and the Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai.
His words: “We really will want to see how you can assist us in the area of environmental remediation. We have heard about the Ogoni issue, but ours is worse than that of the Ogoni. Bayelsa is the headquarters of pollution.
“If you go to some areas, you will see it yourself that when you dip your hand into the water and bring it out, it is crude oil that you will see. So we are consuming more of crude oil-polluted fish and seafood.
“Another issue I really want you to take very seriously is about the use of herbicides. I am one of those who don’t believe that our farmers should exclusively use herbicides to farm. I think that is an area of concern we have to do a lot of public enlightenment on.
“Because those chemicals that have the capacity to kill grasses and weeds also have the capacity to harm humans. When they use those powerful chemicals to kill the weeds, as the rains fall, they percolate through the soil to form part of the nutrients the plants take. So some of these carcinogenic diseases we are having may be attributable to them.”
Earlier, the State Coordinator of NESREA, Bayelsa State Field Office, Mr. Stalin Nwakwoala, said the federal agency had made significant strides in the State through its sensitization programmes on environmental pollution, indiscriminate bush burning, felling of trees, and land degradation.
Mr. Nwakwoala, who noted that NESREA had been partnering with the State Environmental Sanitation Authority in monitoring monthly sanitation exercises, however, appealed to the State Government to support the agency with basic office equipment to carry out its mandate unhindered in the state.
The state Coordinator of NESREA was accompanied on the visit by the agency’s Chief Geologist, Mr Royal Owupele, the Chief Scientific Officer, Mrs Ebipador Udo-Umoh, and Scientific Officer, Mr Okpe James.