As part of activities to mark this year’s International Day Against Monoculture Tree Plantations, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, on Monday led some women impacted by industrial plantation expansion in Edo State to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State council, wherein they registered their displeasure against oil palm companies, whom, according to them (women), have subjected them to untold hardship.
International Day Against Monoculture Tree Plantations, is a day for organizations, networks and movements to celebrate resistance and raise their voices to demand, “Stop the Expansion of Monoculture Tree Plantations!.”
The “protest” by the women led by the Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Barr. Chima Williams, was codenamed Women Led Action Against Deforestation, Land-grabbing and Gender Rights Violations Associated with the Industrial Plantation Model, and was themed: ‘Women Rights are Human Rights. Plantations are not Forests.’
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Speaking, the Executive Director, said ERA/FoEN is committed to protecting the Edo State environments and the rights of the citizens.
While stating that no individual including ERA/FoEN can single handedly do such work, The ED sought partnership from the NUJ and Edo State Government, saying with a collaborative efforts Edo environments and the rights of her citizens would be surely protected.
On her part, Rita Uwaka, Programme Manager, Forest & Biodiversity, ERA/FoEN, lamented the grave impacts of deforestation to the environment, saying “it affects men and women but it has more aggravated impact on women because they continue to be connected to food productions.”
Presenting their petition to the chairman, Edo NUJ, the aggrieved women under the auspices ‘Women Impacted by Industrial Plantation Expansion’, expressed worry over creation of policies and transfer of land without the engagement of women, saying it affects them and those that depend on them.
The petition which was read by Mrs. Gladys Osaghae, to the NUJ chairman on behalf of other women, called on the Edo State Government and the Federal Government to support and invest in communities and women-led solution such as agroecology which, according to them, support food production and local food economy.
The petition reads in part: “Stop new concession agreement that clears out forest at the detriment of women and those that fall under our care.
“Our forest is our life. Support the creation of economic livelihood alternatives for industrial plantation impacted women and their families.
“Enact legislative and regulatory reforms that strengthen women’s rights related to the expansion of industrial plantation.
“Join voices with women around Africa and the world to denounce any violation, abuse, intimidation, harassment and violence against women in the industrial plantation model across all communities territories,” the petition added.
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Receiving the petition, the Edo NUJ chairman, Comrade Festus Alenkhe, urged oil palm companies operating in the state to obey labour laws which state that a certain percentage of employment should be given to indigenes of the communities they operate, just as he called on the companies to obey rights of their host communities and stop any form of human rights violations.
Alenkhe, while thanking ERA/FoEN for taking such responsibility, called on other NGOs domiciled in the state to emulate ERA by standing for citizens rights.
Women who came under the auspices to deliver the petition were drawn from host communities such as Odiguetue, Obaretin, Aifesoba and Uroho among others.
