Environment activists from Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River and Delta states converged on Warri, Delta State, to draw the attention of stakeholders and international bodies to the growing environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region.
The activists, who met under the auspices of the third yearly general meeting (AGM) of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), said that they deliberately timed their meeting to coincide with the AGM of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which is being held today, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, to address cleanup issues of the region and the divestment of Shell from the Niger Delta.
The Executive Director of ANEEJ, David Ugolor, said that the meeting was convened on the eve of the AGM of multinational oil companies to discuss issues in the region, including engagement with the Norwegian Oil Fund, recent developments and subsequent plan of action, Shell and other companies’ onshore divestment plan, its implication for Niger Delta and Nigerian government response.
They x-rayed the ongoing cleanup efforts in the region, particularly Ogoni land, the recent visit by some Ogoni leaders to the President to discuss the resumption of oil production in Ogoni, and other issues of concern.
A representative of the Ogoni Community, Promise Anagbara, said that Shell had exploited oil in the place since 1936, noting that oil exploration had turned the whole area into a wasteland.
