Health of Mother Earth
Foundation (HOMEF), an environmental focused Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has carried out community dialogues in two communities in Rivers State.
The communities are Erema in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area and Goi in Gokana LGA.
The Director of HOMEF, Rev Nnimmo Bassey said the dialogues  aimed at raising awareness and seeking community driven solutions to existing environmental challenges.
Representatives from communities in Erema and Goi participated in the sessions tagged “Community Dialogues” which ended last Thursday.
Speaking at the opening ceremony at Erema, Rev Bassey noted that the dialogues are planned for community members to review environmental situations of their communities.
He explained that HOMEF plans to take the community dialogues to other oil producing communities across the Niger Delta region.
The interaction, according to him will also identify needed areas of action to preserve and defend the common heritage of the people of the region.
“Demands for stewardship in relation to how we relate to the gifts of nature are sometimes regarded as affront to political power weilders and corporate entities.
“These political power wielders lay claim to ownership of our lands, waters and several gifts that nature has endowed us with”, he said.
Further, he said these political players were concerned with how to grab votes without telling the people what they would do with the very thing that supports the lives and livelihood of the people.
“ The parties proclaim transformation and change.  We have seen change.  We are living in change.
“Our waters have been changed into polluted and heavily toxic soups. Our air hangs heavy with noxious fumes.
“The truth is that we have got to the point where we can hardly breath”, he said.
Also speaking, a labour activist and community leader in Erema, Mr Che Ibegwura urged the people to improve their natural habitat which remained their source of life.
He expressed regret that the violent activities against the environment had continued unabated for decades.
Ibegwura explained that this had resulted in poor yields from farm lands and declining quality of life in oil bearing communities.
In his speech, the Ochi Oha of Erema, Chief Odeyi commended HOMEF for building the capacity of the people to protect its environmental assets.
He urged the people to apply the knowledge gained from the sessions in ecological monitoring and defense for the well-being of the community.