PORT HARCOURT: The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, has stated that oil extraction activities have not benefitted any Nigerian and in extension African Community. This is just as a Chadian Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Jacqueline Moudeina, has stated that oil exploration in Chad has introduced poverty and crisis in the country, calling on African countries to move its attention away from oil to Agriculture.
The President of MOSOP, Leborsi Pyagbara, noted that the only benefit oil-producing regions and communities has gotten from oil activities are pollution of their water and air and the devastation of their environment. Pyagbara spoke yesterday at the University of Port Harcourt at the 2018 Livelihood Lecture tagged: ‘Natural Resources Extraction, Livelihoods, Social Relations and Conflict in Africa’ organized by the university in partnership with Health of Mother Earth Foundation.
Speaking, Pyagbara said: “We are beginning to ask ourselves whether oil extraction was the worst decision we took. We are also asking whether it is still sustainable to do extraction. “In Norway, oil has helped their development, but beyond the north, in the South all we see are communities living beyond extreme poverty.
Just as it is happening in the Niger Delta. “Oil has destroyed our environment poisoned the water and the air. Where people deliberately poison environment it becomes genocide. Leave oil in the soil is a big issue the Ogonis now contend with.” However, the Coordinator, Rights Livelihood College and Acting Director Centre for Conflict and Gendre Studies, Dr. Fidelis Allen, noted that the essence of the lecture is to help bridge a gap in the relationship between the civil society and the university community.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/water-air-pollution-environmental-degradation-our-benefit-from-oil-mosop/