From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Worried by the devastating impacts of oil and gas exploration activities with attendant sufferings imposed on the people, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations,CSOs, has demanded immediate action, especially against Mobil Producing Nigeria, MPN.
MPN, they recalled, had been indicated as the major culprit in methane emissions in the Akwa Ibom state oil and gas host communities by the Nigeria Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative, NEITI 2024 report.
And apparently disturbed by the frequent plodding of the earth by the local oil exploration and exploitation firms, and the International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in the Niger Delta region, the CSOs warned that unless urgent steps were taken by the federal government to call the firms to order, the communities risked being driven into extinction.
Therefore, participants under the aegis of the Network Advancement Program for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction, NAPPDRR, working in partnership with Policy Alert, PA, at a stakeholders’ meeting at the oil and gas community of Upenekang, in Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom state, stressed the need for those responsible to be held to account.
In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director, NAPPDRR, Hon. Emem Edoho, at the Town Hall meeting tagged; “Strengthening Public Accountability of Methane Emissions Reduction Efforts in the Host Communities”, called for a holistic action and strong advocacies to stem the scourge and attendant humanitarian crises.
He noted that the recent report by the NEITI, which indicted the MPN, as major culprit in methane emissions calls for urgent policy framework and political will to hold the firm to account.
A communique at the end of the Town Hall summit over the weekend, which was bankrolled by the Natural Resources Governance Institute, NRGI, and CJID, lamented that human, aquatic, wild and domestic lives including their ecosystems were on the verge of being totally degraded by the menace.
“The recent NEITI Emissions Data Report for 2024, which highlights the methane emissions from Mobil Producing Nigeria’s operations, underscores the urgency of our mission.
“As we review the data and its implications, it is clear that our communities are bearing the brunt of environmental degradation and climate change.
“At NAPPDRR, through the support from CJID, and NRGI, and strategic partnership and collaboration with our partners like the Policy Alert, we believe that public accountability is key to achieving meaningful change.
“We must ensure that those responsible for methane emissions are held accountable and that our communities receive the support and resources they need to thrive.
“Through this Town Hall meeting, we aim to amplify the voices of our communities, foster a culture of transparency, and push for policies that prioritize people and the planet. We will engage with the NEITI report’s findings, discuss the implications for our communities, and chart a path forward that ensures methane emissions reduction efforts are not just rhetoric, but a reality that benefits our communities and the environment.
“Let us use this platform to hold meaningful discussions, share knowledge, and build a collective vision for a more just and sustainable future. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our communities receive the justice and support they deserve”, Edoho, who read the communique stressed.
Other resource persons including Mr. Edidiong Dickson, who analysed and simplified the NEITI report on methane emissions and simplified it for community engagement, and
Helen Bassey Eyo, the Program Officer at NAPPDRR, who spoke on the community – led strategies for methane emissions reduction efforts in the host communities, underscored the importance of climate justice for peace and genuine developments in host communities
