Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State has demanded from international oil companies (IOCs) US$12 billion over the course of 12 years, for the repair, remediation and restoration of the environment and public health damage caused by oil and gas exploration.
The demand was also to facilitate laying of the foundations for Bayelsa’s just transition towards renewable energy and opportunities for alternative livelihoods.
Diri made the demand on Wednesday in Abuja at the International Oil Pollution and Just Transition Conference.
He lamented, “Not too many decades ago, we could cast nets into abundant waters, reaping enough catches to nourish entire families. However, the oil boom has brought doom. Our lifeblood – our rivers – now flow with toxic oil residue instead of vibrant life.
“We are a people of the river and the land; fishing and farming were once our essence. These vocations, passed down through generations, taught us patience, respect for nature, and the value of hard work. But the unchecked activities of International Oil Companies (IOCs) have turned the prolific rivers and fertile soil of Bayelsa into a wasteland.”
He equally regretted, “Our breadwinners, robbed of their ancestral legacy, toil on unforgiving, polluted land and fish in toxic waters, only to return with empty nets. Their families face crippling hunger and suffocating despair.”
The governor revealed that he just received a report from the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, titled, “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Costs of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria.”
He said, “One study estimates that in 2012 alone, oil spills in Nigeria, and predominantly in the Niger Delta, resulted in over 16,000 additional neonatal deaths.”
According to the governor, “Indeed, oil pollution and relentless gas flaring have engendered a grim tapestry of alien health conditions in Bayelsa; children are being born with severe deformities, respiratory diseases flourish, stubbornly defying even the most advanced medical interventions and therapies.
“Cancer, once a rarity have surged in prevalence, infiltrating the villages like a spectre that haunts the very fabric of daily life.
“The environment itself has become a crucible of suffering. The air hangs thick with toxins, while the water, once a source of life, now flows with pollutants that carry the weight of despair.
“This unrelenting barrage of environmental degradation has transformed Bayelsa into an epicentre of health crises, forging a reality where illness and suffering have become the norm rather than the exception.”
Diri said the report noted that as a direct consequence, “Life expectancy in Bayelsa has plummeted to just 50 years”, sinking well below levels deemed acceptable by global standards.
He added, “Despite these burdens, we continue to demonstrate an indomitable spirit, navigating daily struggles with a painful resilience that belies our longing for a healthier and more hopeful future.”
He stated, “This report, therefore, has not only captured our plight, but it has also amplified our voice; a voice that has cried out for decades, unheard.
“For too long, we’ve pleaded for mercy, only to be met with indifference. Our children’s futures, our heritage, and our very existence hang in the balance. And today, I bring that voice before you.”
