An Indian based
Environmental Group, Navdang International, says the continuous pollution of the Niger Delta by oil companies amounts to environmental terrorism against the people.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Vandana Shiva, said in a live interview programme on African Independent Television(AIT) monitored in Port Harcourt.
Vandana Shiva described the situation as “a crime against nature, a crime against humanity”.
She said that her visit to GOI and other communities in Ogoni Rivers State has shown the level of damage done to the environment by long years of all exploration in the area.
According to her all the water sources in Ogoniland have been polluted and described the case of GOI as very pathetic as the community has long been deserted by the inhabitants.
“Thus is much more serious than that. I think that the people of the Niger Delta are paying for profit maximization by oil companies”, she said.
Vandana Shiva also said that the people of the Niger Delta were living in a new era of colonization. A colonization of grabbing resources and urged the people to standup for their rights.
She paid tribute to the late Ogoni environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa for not only standing with the Ogonis, but the entire Niger Delta.
Also contributing, the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Rev. Nnimmo Bassey, said that, the challenge was that the people are completely colonized by multinational oil companies.
Rev. Bassey said that, because of the failure of government to address the issue, the people of Ogoni and other parts of the Niger Delta were taking steps to liberate themselves.
“Because government has failed, the people especially the Ogonis took steps to let the oil remain in the land.
The environmental activist also alleged of an increasing deaths among young people in Ogoni land and blamed it on the pollution of the area, adding that Ogoniland lacks potable drinking water.