Oil Industry Guilty Of Climate Change -University Don

A lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Fidelis Allen, says the oil industry contribute more to global climate change than any other industry in the world.
Dr Allen, who is of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies said this at the just concluded African regional Women Climate Summit in Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital.
The lecturer whose topic was entitled, “National Political Economy, Energy Struggle and Energy Focus Market of Nigeria,” specifically said that the oil industry contributes 70 per cent  of green houses gas that is largely responsible for climate change.
The university don who traced the history of fossil fuel development in Nigeria to 1908, said that Nigeria has earned trillions of dollars from the industry, but with nothing to show for it.
According to him, Oloibiri, the community where oil was first discovered in commercial quantity is now a ghost of its self, while across the Niger Delta, the situation has created untold hardship among the citizenry.
He further said that many countries were not aware of the negative impacts of the oil industry in the Niger Delta until Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged in 1995, adding that it was the death of Saro-Wiwa that attracted interest of countries in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
The University Don also lamented the enormous power being exerted by the oil and gas companies in the politics of Ngieria, stressing that most policy makers in the country are afraid to speak against the activities of oil companies because of their political interest.
He also said that more investors are going into the fossil fuel industry because of its attractiveness.
“In the context of global economy, fossil fuel is one sector where investors will continue to explore, but the climate is a big loser.
Environmental pollution is treated as an aspect of oil and gas industry. There are several evidences that the climate is changing,” he said.
Dr Allen noted that as women constitute the vulnerable group in climate change, the onus is on them to take up the battle to fight for their future and their children as the impact of climate change is more on rural women.
In his words: “The globalisation of climate justice activities will inspire more women” and stressed the need for the summit to properly articulate the socio-economic condition women faced with climate change.
He also argued that cultural barriers will not hinder women from demanding for climate justice.
The conference was attended by women from Ghana, South Africa, Malawi, Uganda, Congo, DR, Tanzania, Zambabwe, Kenya and Nigeria.
Case studies were drawn from local extraction and processing in South Africa, Uranium exploration in Malawi, oil exploration in Ghana, Inga Dam in Congo DR bio fuels, land dispossessions and hunger in Namibia as well as the financing for mega infrastructures in Africa.