From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Coalition of local and international Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, said unless there is urgent remediation interventions, the prevailing food crisis in oil and gas host communities, exacerbated by reckless oil and gas exploration, would be sustained with attendant poverty, hunger and deprivation.
Consequently, participants at a one-day ‘Empower2Sustain’ workshop held in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, frowned at the lack of best practices by local and international extractive firms in decimating the earth.
Our correspondent gathered that Green The Future, GTF, initiative spearheaded by Network Advancement Programme for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction, NAPPDRR, was bankrolled by some international Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, Global Greengrants Fund, GGF, and Oilwatch Africa, OA.
Resource persons drawn from government and various CSOs including Mr Mfon James of Ibom Peer Foundation, IPF; Aniekan Edoho from NAPPDRR; Executive Director, ED, of Rebuilders Foundation, RF, Mrs Akanimo Sampson, and Edidiong Dickson from Policy Alert, PA, in their separate presentations, raised alarm over the looming food crises in the oil and gas host communities.
According to the Executive Director of NAPPDRR and convener, Emem Edoho, the forum became necessary to aggravate ideas on how to salvage the earth and restore the green environment for good agricultural practices and food sufficiency.
He described agroecology, food sovereignty and climate justice workshops as “a crucial step in our collective journey towards a greener, more resilient future for the oil and gas host communities in the state.
“We recognise the transformative potential of agroecology and food sovereignty. By embracing agricultural practices, we can revitalise our ecosystem, promote biodiversity and ensure that our communities have control over their food system.
“This is not just about food security, it is about reclaiming our autonomy, preserving our cultural heritage and building a just and equitable society,” he explained.
The special guest and Chairman of Esit Eket Local Government Area, Mrs Uduak Ikemesit Ikot, who was represented by the Supervisory Councilor for Environment, Imoh Jonah, underscored the importance of the forum and enjoined participants to come out with enforceable resolutions that would safeguard and protect the environmental ecosystem from further degradation for agricultural purpose.
The Programme Officer, NAPPDRR, Helen Eyo, explained that the workshop is aimed at building capacity for the inhabitants of oil bearing communities heavily impacted by the exploration and exploitation activities of oil and gas firms operating in the affected communities, for them to imbibe new and sustainable agricultural innovations.
In the same vein, the Village Head of Ntak Inyang in Esit Eket Local Government Area, Chief John Ekwere, urged participants to do their best in drawing government and other concerned authorities to the devastating impact of gas flaring, methane emission and other anti-earth activities including deliberate deforestation by human activities rendering the environment useless for agricultural practices.
The conference resolved that “International Oil Companies, IOCs, should implement the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA; demand for gas flaring pollution and environmental management plan in line with Section 103 and 104 of the PIA.
“Let us fight for environmental justice and stronger community engagement and accountability. Air pollution is reported as the greatest cause of deaths globally and we must support energy transition,” they stressed.
