‘Environment Degradation Reduces Life Expectancy In N’Delta’

A drastic reduction in the life expectancy  of the people living in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria has been attributed  to environmental degradation, occasioned by the activities of the oil explorers within the region.

In an interactive session with our correspondent, Dr Finomo Julia Awajiusuk, a lecturer and an environmentalist, analysed the impact of constant   gas flaring by the oil producing companies in and around the Niger Delta region.

She described the air in the Niger Delta as being highly polluted and so capable of devastating  the lives of the inhabitants.

She said “The air in the Niger Delta is highly polluted. As I speak with you life expectancy in the Niger Delta is 45yrs. Very soon, if  you scale through 60yrs , then you have to show gratitude to God. The alarming rate of premature death in this area is largely caused by the polluted environment”.

Dr. Finomo explains that in Ogba Egbema Ndoni LGA, a distance of 8kms accommodates not less than twelve gas plants, standing and each emitting gas and devastating the environment.

She further explained that one condemnable aspect of gas flaring is that because the stands are so high, it diffuses into the atmosphere and penetrates into the ozone layer which when depleted, loses its friendliness with nature and mankind.

The environmentalist also pointed out that while the Niger Deltans grapple with the air pollution, they still have the problem of water pollution to contend with.

She described the inhabitants as a people that breathe in polluted air and drink contaminated water, as well as eat contaminated sea creatures.

At the end of the day, the lecturer explained that due to the inability of the crops in the land to yield well because of the devastation on the land, the Niger Delta dweller is frustrated out of  life because there is no longer comfort in their own domain.

She therefore called, on the federal government to do its best to make the December 12th zero-flaring date a reality.

It would be recalled that the zero-flaring date had remained a moving date in the past dispensation.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi