Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin
Irked by the activities of oil exploration and its consequent effects on their lives, natives of Gelegelegbene in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Friday, demanded N500billion compensation from oil companies operating in their community.
They said the compensation became necessary due to the huge impacts of gas flaring on their livelihood, adding that if the companies know they cannot pay the compensation, they should vacate the area.
They said that due to activities of oil companies and the resultant impacts, life has become unbearable for them as fishing and farming, which are their major occupations, have become impossible to engage in.
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Narrating their ordeal and at the same time their displeasure over impacts of oil exploration in their environment in a programme organised by Zero Waste Ambassador in Benin, natives of the community lamented that in spite of being people from oil producing community, they are living in abject poverty.
INFO DAILY reports that the programme held by Zero Waste Ambassador to expose the oil and gas crisis in Gelegelegbene was in collaboration with Environmental Rights Action/Friends if the Earth Nigeria; Africa Climate Justice and African People’s Counter Cop.
President, Host Communities Network of Nigeria, Prince Barbs Preye Pawuru lamented that oil producing communities are at the receiving end of the exploration companies, while government and oil companies are the beneficiaries.
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Pawuru stated: “We are from oil producing community yet many of our people iive in abject poverty. Due to oil exploration and gas flaring, our environment has been polluted; our water has been polluted.
“Their is frequent oil spill in the area, and this damages our environment. We depend on the environment for fishing, farming, but due to pollution and other impacts caused by oil exploration, we cannot fish, we cannot farm,” he added.
Also speaking, Mrs Mary Fedigha, a woman leader in the community said activities of oil companies particularly their heavy-duty equipment and gas fare have caused partial blindness and deafness to the people in the community, adding that drugs promised for treatment were not delivered to them.
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She added: “The company promised to build market in the community but till today we’ve not seen anything like that. The little contracts they ought to give to us are being given to outsiders. Take for instance, supply of fish that suppose to be given to us in the community is being given out, outsider supplies them fish.”
On her part, Secretary of the community women, Mrs Grace Emakpose said: “Our water is being polluted, we can’t do anything; we are stranded. Due to gas flaring, our women are having miscarriage,
“We want to say that if they cannot convert the gas to usable energy, they should leave our community.”
Also speaking, youth leader of the community, Ebikena Milton said: “Gele is a shadow of itself; we are suffering. Many of us (youths) are graduates who suppose to have jobs, but no job for us even as people from oil producing community. Even the empowerment programmes they brought to us are not working out. I will urge them to leave our community.”