Posted by Nduta emphasized that polluters should be held accountable for loss and harm imposed on communities in Africa and claimed that the way the multinational operates demonstrates that Africa is not just a geographical place but also a cow that should be milked dry for the gains of her captors.
“Oilwatch Africa urges on the Nigerian government to step up and oversee the thorough cleanup of polluted areas as well as the payment of damages reimbursement. We also call on all African governments to invest in renewable energy while taking into account the true cost of extraction, which is harming her people more than helping them.
Nnimmo Bassey, a member of the Oilwatch steering committee, also spoke out in opposition to the oil firms’ lack of commitment to maintaining the operational safety of their facilities.
He regretted that oil firms are making more efforts to widen the threat rather than repairing the harms brought on by their operations.
Bassey called for the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to ensure that the latest two oil spills in Rivers State be cleaned up right now.
“New investments in the fossil fuels sector and ongoing oil spills threaten to plunge the world into a climate catastrophe and expose the wrong path taken by nations when they come together at COPs for climate negotiations,” he warned.
“On June 13, 2023, an oil spill was reported from a Shell pipeline in the Eteo community. On June 18, 2023, an oil spill was recorded in the Oke-Olebo stream, the community’s only source of fresh water, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“We have always fought for a cleaner environment, and we demand that the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) consider the latest oil leaks that pose a threat to the existing cleanup operation. To guarantee offending parties are held accountable, measures should be adopted.