PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News Across The Region
Related Articles
By David Owei, Yenagoa
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have proffered solutions for the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) set up by Governor Seriake Dickson on the ways to handle activities of oil companies and environmental challenges facing the state.
Speaking at a one-day roundtable meeting in Yenagoa, the CSOs advised the commission to liaise with the Federal Government and come up with a document that will outlive the outgoing Bayelsa state administration.
The CSOs whose members were drawn from the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organizations Forum (BANGOF) and environmental experts, admonished that the commission’s report which will be submitted by December should mandate oil companies operating in Bayelsa to locate their office in the state.
The commission was asked to make case for health audit and risk management assessment in the oil bearing areas so as to check health hazards caused by oil exploitation activities.
Participants also called on the commission to make itself accessible to all stakeholders for them to be able to make input, asking the commission not to lose sight on the activities of the youth as regards economic sabotage.
They called on the commission to come up with a document that would become a reference point to all oil bearing states in the Niger Delta. They equally advised the commissioner to provide solutions to the divide and rule attitude of IOCs.
In his welcome address, chairman of the commission, Arch. Bishop John Sentamu thanked participants for attending and promised to put all contributions made at the event into consideration.
Arch. Bishop Sentamu said the commission was an independent group of commissioners that has been convened to look into the environmental and human impact of oil spills in Bayelsa State.
He said: “We have organised this meeting as we believe civil society organisations play a vital role in ensuring communities are represented and in addressing society’s injustices through a neutral platform.
“Many of you have been involved in issues of social, political and economic justice in the Niger Delta for a number of years. Today, we would like to hear from you about the work you have been doing in Bayelsa in relation to oil spills and what you would like to see from the oil companies in terms of their operations in your communities.
“I would also like to thank BANGOF, the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum, for collaborating with the commission to host this session. Your tireless work in ensuring that your communities’ voices are heard is incredibly important to creating a more transparent, accountable and peaceful society.
“We thank you in advance for any insight you can provide into this issue.”
