Conservations NG

Category: News

Sustainability, ecotourism and life lessons

Ten Decatur High School students experienced firsthand progressive sustainability and ecotourism practices on a recent field trip to Germany and Switzerland.

Jordan Lybeck, agricultural sciences teacher at Decatur, and several horticulture and animal science students embarked on a 10-day educational tour of sustainable living in Germany and Switzerland, organized through Education First.

In April, the group traveled to Berlin, Stuttgart, Freiburg and the Lucerne region, exploring historical museums, cultural monuments, and geographic wonders from cities to farmlands.

For many of these students, it was their first time out of the country or even on an airplane, Lybeck said.

“I think in total we traveled about a thousand miles in a couple of days just by train and bus,” Lybeck said.

The students learned about a biosphere reserve, Lybeck said, which is similar to the national parks in the U.S., but in Switzerland, they allow people to farm and live in the park.

“A lot of their ecosystems can’t go on without human intervention, so they allow their farmers to graze cattle up in the hills because they clear the area out, which allows the wildflowers and native plants to grow,” Lybeck said. “It preserves their culture but it also preserves nature and a way of life for people.”

In his classes, the focus is to teach kids how to live more sustainable lives, Lybeck said, so when he received a promotional email about the trip, it was a perfect fit.

One student said Europe shines a light on a reimagined metropolis area, typically thought of as a smog-filled city, instead showing it can be environmentally safe.

“Everyone has a garden. Every building has solar panels; they made each building so that the light would filter in though certain times of the year to warm up the house or cool it down during the summer,” said student Hallie C. “It was just amazing that in a place that you think would be overrunning with sewage and grossness was better than suburban areas.”

“I liked how they have reusable energy sources,” said student Kayden S., explaining the mass use of solar panels and the timber burning mechanisms used as central power sources for heating and electricity. “I think that’s something I could take and apply it to my own life at some point.”

The students also got to experience the Innovation Academy, also called the “Maker’s Space,” where they designed keychains via a computer software, and then saw a 3-D printer laser bring their design to life.

The students also got to work with animation graphics and virtual reality to create their own world, exploring their creation with virtual reality goggles.

They also toured the Holocaust memorial, which was fascinating, yet decripid, dark and creepy, the students agreed. They viewed the Berliner Fernsehturm, a satellite TV tower constructed between 1965 and 1969 by the government of the German Democratic Republic.

Some teaching moments were unplanned.

The group’s departing flight from the United States to Amsterdam landed late, causing them to be delayed for their following flight. Deboarding the plane on the tarmac, the 13-person group ended up getting split into three.

It was Kayden S. who sprinted through the airport, arriving at their second flight in just enough time to speak with the captain and hold the plane for the rest of the Decatur group.

“It’s a good learning experience because you learn how to problem solve and all sorts of logistical things,” Lybeck said of the airport stresses.

While the students may not always remember the random facts they learned from their knowledgeable tour guides, the life experiences of nearly missing a connecting flight, or hearing how wars they had read about in textbooks had firsthand impacted the lives of people they met in various countries — those memories are unforgettable, Lybeck said.

“Sustainability was the theme of the trip, but the life lessons I think are going to stick with them a lot longer,” Lybeck said. “I think sustainability was a big part of it because it relates to the course and what we do here, but I think the cultural differences and life lessons they learned were probably the most important.”

June 4, 2019
Kebbi welcomes elephant family

Late last year, a family of elephants turned up in Zaria Kala-Kala village, Kebbi State. At the report of their sighting, the governor of the state, Atiku Bagudu, ordered their protection pending when they would be handed over to the appropriate authority.

As you can imagine, this was an initially difficult task as the elephants destroyed farms across some local governments while foraging.

According to the state’s commissioner for Agriculture, it was the first time in the state’s history that elephants would besiege their farms. Their issues had always been with the hippopotamus.

However, the governor’s assurance that farmers would be compensated not only avoided a clash with the elephants, but made them welcome guests who have now decided to make the state home.

Recently, the governor hailed farmers living along the fringes of the River Niger in Koko/Besse and Bagudo Local Government Areas for protecting the stray elephants. Apart from protecting the endangered animals, the largest land mammals in the world, the farmers also provide them with feeds from their farms.

“I urge all communities in the state to continue to provide information and support until the animals return to their rightful location,” the governor said.

He used the opportunity to warn the public against poaching of wild animals, adding that whoever inflicted injury on animals would face the full wrath of the law.

But if statements by the First Lady of Kebbi are anything to go by, the elephants are there to stay.

Zainab Bugudu said last week on Twitter: “These awesome elephants that strayed into Kebbi last year are safe and thriving. The mama and baby stay at ‘home’ whilst papa elephant roams the land. He always comes back. Typical.”

She revealed that the elephants had established a range and knew their bounds, negating the need for curtailing their movement.

“The elephants have created a natural ‘zoo’ for themselves,” she said. “They don’t go beyond certain limits; always return. The host community in Zaria Kalakala protects them and can always tell you where they are. They have feeding points. It’s really quite interesting.”

From her comments, you can sense her excitement and her appreciation.

“Indeed, we thank Nature, His Excellency and the receptive host community. I just ooh and aah and share amazing pictures with you.”

These awesome elephants that strayed into Kebbi last year are safe and thriving. The mama and baby stay at “home” whilst papa elephant roams the land. He always comes back. Typical. @FemiOke @AishaAK49 pic.twitter.com/1Qr8ynNkUr
— Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu (@DrZSB) May 13, 2019

The coexistence between the elephants and humans in Kebbi is worth the excitement it generates. Unlike other instances where the animals are either kept in a zoo or have a reserve demarcated for them, this is a natural relationship built on mutual trust which may help resuscitate the dwindling elephant population in Nigeria.

Elephants are a cornerstone of the $34 billion tourism industry across Africa. They play a critical role as ecosystem engineers, providing a way for important soil nutrients to be spread around on a massive scale.

As natural gardeners, and sculptors of Africa’s most iconic landscapes, elephants help to disperse seeds and create spaces for other plant species to grow.

However, they face an uncertain future in Nigeria. Once widespread across the country, elephants have declined by more than 50% in less than 20 years.

Reliable information about many of these small herds is generally lacking. However, it is known that a small herd of elephants survives in the region around Kwiambana Game Reserve in Zamfara State and Kamuku National Park in Kaduna State.

The largest and most important elephant herd remaining in the country is located at the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi where an estimated 100-150 elephants survive.

Interestingly, there are two species of elephant in Nigeria. The ones mentioned above are the savannah elephants of northern Nigeria.

The other is the forest elephant in the south. It was recently reported that these southern elephants may be around 200 remaining in the wild.

Like their cousins in the north, the animals face the twin threat of loss of habitat to development on one hand, and being poached for their ivory on the other.

The five sites where forest elephants are reportedly found in southern Nigeria are the Omo Forests in Ogun State, the Okomu National Park in Edo State, the Cross River National Park in Cross River State, the Idanre Forests and Osse River Park in Ondo State and the Andoni Island in Rivers State.

However, only organised conservation work, public support and enlightenment, and good habitat management are capable of saving the elephants from extinction in Nigeria.

Hopefully, the love and care being shown to the elephants in Kebbi will be replicated wherever they are found and might help increasing their population.

If well harnessed, wildlife tourism will be a long overdue complement to Nigeria’s tourism drive which at the moment, stands on the twin pillars of culture and entertainment.

Saving the elephant population is the least the country can do, after seeing the depletion and near extinction of other animals responsible for tourism income in other African countries.

The fact that elephants are peaceful animals, is a reason for their survival next to humans. Unfortunately, the lion for example – due to its nature – can’t find solace in host communities, which has invariably, threatened its population, in the absence of a concerted government effort at conservation.

Lions will soon disappear completely from Nigeria, according to experts. At the moment, there are only two areas in Nigeria home to lions: Kainji Lake National Park in Niger State, in the northwest, where approximately 30 cats live, and Yankari, where researchers believe there might be less than five.

With the example set by the host community in Kebbi State, Nigeria elephants shouldn’t suffer the same fate.

May 27, 2019
PHOTOS: Conservation Club of Omo marks WMBD 2019
Birds need to be protected because they are vital to life on earth. Protecting birds is not only by preventing hunting and trafficking but also by guarding against the destruction of their habitats. These and many more are some of the points made by members of the Conservation Club of Omo on Wednesday.

The club which comprises of students, teachers, forest rangers and researchers commemorated the event with a multi-session event which hammers on responsible use and disposal of plastics. The worldwide event is themed “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!”

The event was setup in conjunction with Forest Elephant Initiative and Birdlife International.

Students were awarded with prizes for a drawing contest that was carried out as a build up to the event. A Conservation TV event which featured pupils from the Conservation Club discussing solutions to the plastic crises was one of the high points of the event. Participants in the event advised the general public to follow the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle of plastic to prevent plastic pollution. Other events were bird watching, poems, songs and community sensitization.
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
- world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxhCCejHbRY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Paintings from the wildlife drawing competition

world Migratory Bird Day 2019 at Omo wildlife reserve
May 21, 2019
Conservationists call for end of plastic pollution on World Migratory Birds Day

In preparation for the 2019 World Migratory Birds Day on Friday, conservation groups world wide have identified plastic pollution as a source of serious health risks to wildlife globally, affecting a wide range of species including whales, turtles, fish and birds.

On World Migratory Bird Day, celebrated on 11 May, two UN wildlife treaties and conservationists around the world are calling for urgent action to stop plastic pollution by highlighting its negative effects on seabirds and other migratory birds, a press release from UN Environment revealed.

“One third of global plastic production is non-recyclable and at least eight million tonnes of plastic flows unabated into our oceans and water bodies each year,” Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment said. “It is ending up in the stomachs of birds, fish, whales, and in our soil and water. The world is choking on plastic and so too are our birds on which so much life on earth depends.”

Plastic pollution presents a three-fold threat to birds: entanglement in fishing gear and other plastic litter is the most visible but affects fewer individuals.

Ingestion of plastic waste is more pervasive and can affect large proportions of some species. Birds mistake plastic as food causing them to starve to death as their stomachs fill up with undigestable plastic.

Plastic is also being used as nest material. Many birds pick up plastic to line their nests mistaking it for leaves, twigs and other natural items, which can injure and trap fragile chicks.

Discarded fishing gear is responsible for most entanglements among birds at sea, in rivers, lakes and even on land. Seabirds are particularly threatened by fishing gear. Many entangled seabirds are not detected because they die far from land out of sight of humans.

“Becoming entangled in fishing gear or plastic litter condemns birds to a slow, agonizing death” says Peter Ryan, Director of the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town.

To capture additional data on remote entanglements, scientists such as Peter Ryan have turned to Google Images and other web-based sources to provide a more comprehensive picture of the threat, and the numbers of affected bird species have been adjusted upwards.

Of 265 bird species recorded entangled in plastic litter, at least 147 species were seabirds (36 per cent of all seabird species), 69 species freshwater birds (10 per cent) and 49 landbird species (0.5 per cent).

These figures show that almost all marine and freshwater birds are at risk of entanglement in plastic waste and other synthetic materials. A wide diversity of landbirds from eagles to small finches are also affected, and these numbers are bound to increase.

Research further shows that about 40 per cent of seabirds contain ingested plastic. Marine ducks, divers, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, grebes, pelicans, gannets and boobies, gulls, terns, auks as well as tropicbirds are particularly at risk. Ingesting plastic can kill them or more likely cause severe injuries, and plastic accumulations can block or damage the digestive tract or give the animal a false sense of satiation, leading to malnutrition and starvation.

Chemical additives from plastic were found in birds’ eggs in remote environments such as the Canadian Arctic.

To address the issue of plastic pollution – and ensure that in the future fewer birds will die by ingestion of or getting entangled in plastic – UN Environment launched the Clean Seas campaign in February 2017. The campaign, which targets marine plastic pollution in particular, has an upstream focus and asks individuals, governments and business to take concrete steps to reduce their own plastic footprints.

The Convention on Migratory Species and the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement work with countries to prevent plastic items from entering the marine environment. A recent resolution on seabird conservation adopted by AEWA countries in December 2018, includes a series of actions countries can take to reduce the risk caused by plastic waste on migratory birds.

At the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species in 2017, countries also agreed to address the issue of lost fishing gear, by following the strategies set out under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

Efforts to phase out single use plastics and to redesign plastic products to make them easier to recycle are underway in many countries.

“There are no easy solutions to the plastic problem. It will require the joint efforts of governments, industry, municipalities, manufacturers and consumers to tackle the problem. However, as this year’s World Migratory Bird Day underlines – everybody on this planet can be part of the solution and take steps to reduce their use of single-use plastic. Tackling this problem globally will not only be beneficial for us, but also benefit our planet’s wildlife, including millions of migratory birds,” said Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement.

Plastic pollution is a serious and growing threat to migratory birds, which will only further limit their ability to deal with the much larger threat faced by climate change.

May 10, 2019
Minister, others visit UK over Ogoni clean up

Nigeria’s minister of environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma and other senior government officials are on a working visit to the United Kingdom for the successful clean-up of Ogoni oil spill.

It was gathered that the trip was facilitated by the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) to enable the delegates to understand global best practices in the remediation of other sites contaminated by oil pollution across the country.

Minister of Environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma

Members of the governing council of Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) who are part of the tour are expected to visit five sites in the United Kingdom — Biogénie’s Trecatti and Redhill soil treatment facilities in South Wales and South East England respectively, the Coed Darcy regeneration project in South Wales, the former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands, and ALS Laboratories in North West England.

The sites would provide an opportunity for HYPREP’s governing council to witness the redeveloped land. Around three-quarters of the site were restored for open space, community and ecological uses, while the remaining areas were used for residential and commercial purposes.

According to a statement signed by the ministry’s director of press, Mr Saghir Mohammed, the visit would also enable the delegates to observe an extensive range of in-situ and ex-situ remediation techniques, such as soil washing, bioremediation, thermal desorption, separating techniques, and among others.

It was envisaged that these demonstrations and visits would build HYPREP’s capacity to reuse and recycle many sites and worn-out materials, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the clean-up exercise.

” The delegates, expected to visit the Chester laboratory in north-west England would focus on quality, accreditation, sample preparation, analysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, reporting, and interpretation of analysis,” Mohammed’s statement revealed.

During the tour, they are expected to identify the aspects that could be replicated in Nigeria in order to increase the overall quality of indigenous laboratories.

UNEP’s 2011 assessment of Ogoniland revealed that bringing back important ecosystems to full productive health could take up to 30 years. The report had recommended that a $1 billion should be set aside for the first five years of remediation activities. Upon completion, the clean-up of Ogoniland could serve as a model for replication in both Nigeria and the region.

Experts had stated that the restoration of Ogoniland initiated by the federal government could prove to be the world’s most complex and longest oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken. This is why UNEP in its 2011 assessment report highlighted the severe and widespread contamination due to oil production spanning several decades.

May 8, 2019
Ecotourism industry to grow remarkably for the next five years — new report

The global Ecotourism market is anticipated to grow significantly during the forecast period 2019 to 2025, Market Research has shown. The forecast was made in a report titled “Global Ecotourism Market Size, Status and Forecast 2019-2025. The report also presents market size, share, trend, demand, industry outlook and competitors analysis with growth in the global Ecotourism market. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

The 105-paged reports used tables and figures to expound the topic while also providing information on the competitors and the specific growth opportunities with key market drivers.

The report studies the Global Ecotourism market, analyzes and researches the Ecotourism development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.

Ecotourism Industry analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions’ development status. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.

May 2, 2019
New consortium to reduce environmental footprint of rice production

A new global consortium, the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative, will bring together expertise from international organizations, research institutions and business groups with significant market influence to tackle the enormous environmental footprint of rice production, members of the partnership announced today.

The new consortium will introduce sustainable approaches to farming practices, incentivise production and demand for sustainable rice with market-based instruments, deliver policy support to governments, and improve knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainable rice solutions.

Rice is a leading cause, as well as a victim, of climate change, and its production impacts many natural systems. Rice is responsible for about the same greenhouse gas emissions as Germany, particularly from methane, which is emitted from rotting vegetation in inundated paddy fields.

At the same time, rice yields and nutritional values are significantly reduced by rising temperatures, and production must increase by 25% by 2050 to meet global demand.

Practices such as removing rice straw can reduce methane emissions by up to 70%, but farmers currently lack awareness, training, policy and market support.

The founding members of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative represent the range of partners needed to make these practices commonplace, namely UN Environment, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Sustainable Rice Platform, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the International Rice Research Institute and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

“UN Environment is proud to be a member of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Consortium. Sustainable rice production is one remedy that can fix a host of issues,” said Dechen Tsering, Regional Director of UN Environment’s Asia and the Pacific Office. “It can help us fight climate change, protect biodiversity and restore landscapes and simultaneously safeguard rice farming communities and the billions of people that rely on them.”

The Initiative is particularly targeting a number of Asian countries, where rice is one of the most important crops and the economic backbone for millions of farmers, and will seek changes in national policy, farming practices, and improvements in the supply chain. To achieve scale, the Initiative is calling upon governments and international funding bodies to support their efforts.

May 2, 2019
Standard, Chartered Bank DFSA align to fight illicit wildlife trade

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) recently hosted senior executives from Standard Chartered Bank to discuss how financial institutions and regulators can work together to help curb illegal wildlife trade and disrupt the flow of illegal funds arising from this predicate crime.

David Fein, Group General Counsel at Standard Chartered and Vice-Chair of the Financial Taskforce of the UK Royal Foundation of ‘United for Wildlife’ campaign which is under The Duke of Cambridge’s presidency along with Sunil Kaushal, Regional Chief Executive Officer for Africa and Middle East visited the DFSA with their teams to highlight the measures being taken by global entities, including Standard Chartered, to combat illegal wildlife trade as part of an overall financial crime prevention framework.

The illegal trade in elephant ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, tiger bones, bear bile and rosewood are reported as leading to the extinction of some of the world’s magnificent and sometimes lesser-known species. Illegal wildlife trade also impacts the financial services sector as the unwitting conduit for the movement of proceeds of illegal wildlife trade.

In addition to being a major risk to endangered wildlife species, illegal wildlife trade impacts economies by destroying natural and human resources and eroding society’s social capital. Illegal wildlife trade also creates a false economy of dependence based on illegal activities making it more difficult to combat in poverty stricken jurisdictions.

As of 2017, the global value of illegal wildlife trade was quoted at $26 billion according to data published by the United Nations (UN). The UN considers wildlife crime as one of the largest transnational organised criminal activities alongside drug, arms and human trafficking. Illegal wildlife trafficking is now one of the world’s top criminal activities, ranked alongside drugs, arms, and human trafficking.

The DFSA’s support of the worldwide campaign against illegal wildlife trade builds on Dubai’s concerted efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. Over the years, several Dubai Government entities have initiated programmes to raise awareness and counter the illegal practice.

Bryan Stirewalt, Chief Executive of the DFSA, commented: “The discussion led by Mr. Fein was insightful and provided a well-rounded view on the global efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade. As a government entity committed to promoting sustainable practices and preserving our natural environment, we are keen to partner in campaigns against illegal wildlife trade. Since our inception, we have identified financial crime as a top risk and have continuously assigned resources and efforts to fight it. Through our support to programmes such as this, we want to raise awareness about the practice in financial circles and highlight that we have a zero-tolerance policy to any act that supports the illicit trade. We all have a role to play and no one’s contribution to this fight is too small.”

Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, UAE, commented: “For too long, illegal wildlife trafficking has been viewed solely as a conservation issue. In reality, it’s a transnational organised crime with links to the trades in narcotics and arms. The UAE is well positioned to play a leading role in fighting the illegal wildlife trade and we, as an international bank that is deeply rooted in this country, are committed to supporting this fight By following the money, financial institutions can help map the criminal networks and provide law enforcement with vital intelligence to support their investigations and prosecutions. We are pleased to be in dialogue with the DFSA about what more can be done, as an industry, to tackle this crime.” she added.

The DFSA’s dialogue with Standard Chartered also highlights the social responsibility of individuals and organisations to contribute to the well-being of humanity and the natural environment.

March 25, 2019
Two arrested with fresh buffalo head in Yankari

Two yet to be named men were on Tuesday apprehended at the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State for killing a buffalo.

The suspects said to be from Mai Ari area in the state were caught by rangers at the game reserve with the buffalo’s head.

It is expected that the suspects will be charged to court.

Yankari National Park is a large wildlife park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, in northeastern Nigeria. It covers an area of about 2,244 square kilometres and is home to several natural warm water springs, as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna. Hunting is strongly prohibited within the reserve.

March 20, 2019
Group questions Nigerian Government over Ogoni cleanup process

Civil society groups are questioning the process being adopted by the federal authorities to remedy the sites of massive oil spillage in Ogoni, Rivers State, Nigeria.

A group, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), said that the status of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in terms of its structure, independence, funding, effectiveness, capacity as well of perception of sluggishness due to bureaucracy, politicization, low responsiveness has affected the cleanup exercise.

CISLAC holds that the exercise is now bugged with identity crisis, procedures, processes and overheads. Perception of corruption, lack of transparency and accountability, complex decision making, internal crisis of choice between Ogoni and the Niger Delta.

Kolawole Banwo, programme manager for CISLAC who provided an overview of the UNEP report on Ogoniland at an interaction in Lagos, that HYPREP is now seen as a HY-BRID, made up a project and agency, rather than a specific programme for the Ogoniland clean up. He also noted lack of no sequence of action and prioritization of activities and cost management as well as adherence to original in the process.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland in August 2011 after series of protests of oil spillage in the community that culminated to the death of Ken Sarowiwa and eight others.

The report commissioned by Federal Government of Nigeria, made recommendations to the government, the oil and gas industry and communities to begin a comprehensive cleanup of Ogoniland, restore polluted environments and put an end to all forms of ongoing oil contamination in the region

Findings in the Report underline that there are, in a signiﬁcant number of locations, serious threats to human health from contaminated drinking water to concern over the viability and productivity of ecosystems.

In addition that pollution has perhaps gone further and penetrated deeper than many may have previously supposed. Pollution of soil by petroleum hydrocarbons in Ogoniland is extensive in land areas, sediments and swampland.

In 49 cases, UNEP observed hydrocarbons in soil at depths of at least 5 metres. At 41 sites, the hydrocarbon pollution has reached the groundwater at levels in excess of the Nigerian standards permitted by National Laws at Nisisioken Ogale, in Eleme LGA, close to a NNPC product pipeline where an 8 cm layer of reﬁned oil was observed ﬂoating on the groundwater, which serves the community wells.

Banwo said that the fatalities occasioned by pollution in Niger Delta, particularly Ogoni had called for serious attention to save lives and property.According to him, there is need to re-visit, and where necessary remediate identified sites.“We are already eight years behind after the report itself was first launched in 2011 and 63 years late after the first oil spill happened in Oloibiri in 1953.

“The Federal Government flagged off the remediation of contaminated sites in Ogoni Land in 2016.“But since then, not much has been done in that direction. The wellbeing of the people in Ogoni and the Niger Delta at large is to say the least pathetic.“Life expectancy has dropped to 40, livelihoods destroyed, inhabitants consume contaminated water 900 times above the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

“Festival of funerals in the region has become very worrisome, all due to pollution and exposure to environmental hazards.“This calls for the urgent need to review the remediation techniques, repair, maintain and decommission non-producing facilities.“The duty of care point of view upon which the emergency measures are based imposes not just a moral but a legal obligation to prevent harm or compensate victims.

“The 25-year long journey and struggle for the clean up of Ogoniland and the Niger Delta Region is a challenge to our shred humanity.
“It is about the lives of real people whose only offence is that petroleum resources which drives our economy are found in their land. We must keep asking right questions, applying the right pressure and speaking out.

“With the professionalism, courage and persistence of the press we will achieve more and faster. We must do more to get our government to Clean Up Ogoni now”, he said.

Also the Programme Manager, Defence and Security of CISLAC, Mr. Salaudeen Hashim, attributed the slow pace of cleanup and remedial exercise at Ogoni Land to weak institutional and regulatory framework.Hashim said that companies’ collusion, bad governance and corruption were factors, which needed to be addressed to record significant result from the situation in Ogoni. He urged the government to intensify more efforts in ensuring effective institutional and regulatory framework for the region.

Hashim enjoined the Ogoni communities to take proactive stance against theft and illegal refining.He said: “The Ogoni Community is exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons in outdoor air and drinking water, sometimes at elevated concentrations.

“Hydrocarbon contamination is found in water taken from 28 wells at 10 communities adjacent to contaminated sites; and without an adequate regulation framework in tackling the menace, it will continue to multiply”, he added.

March 13, 2019