A group known as the Social Development Integrated Centre has called on the United Nations and the African Union to prevail on the Federal Government to commence the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme report on Ogoniland.
The group expressed sadness that three years after UNEP submitted its report with a warning that urgent steps should be taken to clean up Ogoniland, government had not been able to combat the oil pollution in the area.
A statement on Monday by the Communications Officer of the group, Lillian Akhigbe, added that the UN and AU should prevail on the Nigerian government to implement the UNEP report in the interest of environmental justice.
The group also known as Social Action, pointed out that the two bodies should intervene in the matter so that the Federal Government would do the right thing and ensure that the issue of non-compliance with the UNEP report on Ogoniland would be a thing of the past.
“We call on the international community, which includes notable organisations like the United Nations and the African Union to, in the interest of protecting environmental rights and promoting environmental justice, put significant pressure on the Nigerian government to do the needful by ensuring that the prolonged issue of non-compliance with the UNEP Report, becomes a thing of the past,” the group said.
It also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take necessary steps and ensure that the implementation of the UNEP report commenced without delay.
According to the group, “We therefore make an urgent call on the President of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, to take every necessary step needed to ensure that the UNEP Report is implemented and the clean-up process of the oil-ravaged areas, commences immediately.
“So far, the response of the Jonathan-led government to the UNEP Report has been unsatisfactory in view of Shell’s reluctance to embark on a professional clean-up exercise and pay adequate compensation to the indigenes of the polluted oil producing areas such as the fishermen and the farmers, who as a result of the environmental disaster, lost their means of livelihood.”
It, however, hailed the ruling by a London High Court declaring that Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell should take responsibility for the oil spills in Ogoniland.
“Three years after the official release of the United Nations Environment Programme report of 2011 which recommended the immediate clean-up of the crude oil-polluted Ogoniland, a High Court in the United Kingdom (UK) recently ruled that Shell could be held responsible for the entire oil pollution including the oil spills caused by the criminal act of illegal oil bunkering, owing to its failure to adequately maintain and secure its oil pipelines,” the group recalled.
Source: ThePunch
