A Niger Delta based NGO, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) has decried the alleged continued destruction of the environment in the oil-rich Niger Delta Region by Multinational Oil Companies, pipe vandals and illegal oil bunkerers, insisting they must halt their cruel activities now to save the deteriorating environment.
National Coordinator of CEPEJ, Comrade Sheriff Mulade in a press statement claimed that the activities of IOCs, pipe vandals and oil bunkerers were affecting the Niger Delta environment seriously, imploring them to halt the destruction of oil facilities.
He stated that; “It’s unfortunate that Multinational oil companies who obey and adhere strictly to environmental best practices internationally in their countries and other parts of the globe, continued to hide under the Nigeria corrupt practices and introduce divide and rule, cause disunity amongst communities and militarized the region under the disguised of security challenges to exploit the communities and nation freely”.
Comrade Mulade said that the vandalisation of oil facilities by oil bunkerers and the destruction of oil installations by aggrieved militants were impacting negatively on the environment.
According to the press statement; “The failure of multinational oil companies to adhere strictly to environmental best practices in the Niger Delta region couple with unholy activities of pipe vandals and those stealing our oil are affecting the Niger Delta Region environment. They are destroying the ecosystem. Today our farmland are being destroyed as a result of the activities of pipe vandals and illegal oil bunkers”.
The statement added that; “Our farmers and fishermen are being forced out of their age long occupations as a result of the activities of those destroying our oil facilities. Let us save our environment by shunning the destruction of oil facilities/installations in our area.”
” The environment that is being destroyed today is not the best. Let those stealing our oil illegally put an end to their unholy activities and pipe vandals should stop the destruction of our environment and oil facilities and take their grievances to the negotiating table. They are not helping the Niger Delta environment. The oil bearing communities are suffering as a result of the destruction of the environment,”‘ he said in the statement.
According to the CEPEJ boss also; “Enough of the destruction of the Niger Delta Region environment. Our people can no longer carry out their fishing business and the peasant farmers can no longer carry out their farming because the environment has been destroyed. We appeal to those responsible for the destruction of our once fertile environment to halt their criminal activities. Our environment must be protected by all and sundry”.
