Environment
RSG, 2017 And The Environment
Our Environment, Our
Heritage: Environmental Sustainability: A Right For All.” That was the theme of the Port Harcourt Environmental Summit held this year. The summit was organised by the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Environment in collaboration with the executive arm of the government.
The conference theme was a summation of the policy thrust of the present administration in the environment sector. It would be recalled that before the inception of the present administration, major streets and roads in Port Harcourt city and its environs were littered with garbage Aside from the issue of garbage across the streets and roads of Port Harcourt and its environs, several creeks crisscrossing the city were blocked with debris.
This situation was largely responsible for the series of flood disasters which affected parts of Port Harcourt and its environs last year. It would be noted that in the year under review, the administration initiated series of programmes to return Port Harcourt to its Garden City status.
The monthly environmental sanitation exercise which was abandoned by previous administrations was reviewed and made more active.
The exercise has not only instilled the culture of cleanliness among residents of the state, but has also restored Port Harcourt to its Garden City status.
Moreover, Governor Nyesom Wike has also ensured that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise is not held only in the state capital, but also across the state.
It would be recalled that through the effort of the present administration, the heaps of refuse which litter virtually all parts of Oyigbo Local Government Area were cleared. The area was declared as the dirtiest local government council in the state.
The present administration in the out-gone year embarked on series of road constructions and rehabilitations across the city of Port Harcourt and the 23 local government areas, thereby improving the aesthetic condition of not only Port Harcourt and its environs but headquarters of the 23 local government areas.
In the year under review, the administration embarked on series of sensitisation campaigns in market places and strategic locations against some bad environmental practices such as, the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into gutters and drainages.
The burning of tyres, the indiscriminate pasting of posters on walls in the city and its environs as well as the illegal oil bunkering which was acknowledged to be a major contributor to the black soot incident witnessed across the state were also tackled. The state government took proactive measures to check the incidence of the black soot.
A taskforce on the black soot was constituted by the government to unravel the causes of the phenomenon and proffer solutions.
The taskforce made up of the Commissioner for Environment, Prof (Mrs) Roseline Konya, immediate past Commissioner for Information/Communications, Dr Austin Tam George and the immediate past Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House now Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka I. Onowu, immediately swung into action, thereby checking the effects of the soot on the people.
The government also embarked on the dredging of the Ntawogba creek of which work was on-going at the time of filing the report.
The Tide also learnt that in the year under review, the government embarked on tree planting campaigns across the state.
The Ministry of Environment embarked on series of litigations against multinational companies for violating the environmental laws and regulations of the state, while series of conflicts between the companies and their host communities were resolved. Sources within the Ministry of Environment also informed The Tide that the series of flood awareness campaigns carried out by the ministry led to the intervention of the state government in the flood ravaged Eneka community.
Also in the year under review, the government, through the Ministry of Environment issued a stop work order against dredging companies along the Woji bridge while regular dredging inspection exercises have been embarked upon by the ministry within the period under review.
The government, through the Ministries of Special Duties and Environment also donated relief materials to persons affected by the flood incident especially those in the Eneka axis of the city.
Governor Wike has also shown his concern for the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on the clean-up of Ogoniland, through series of actions.
The state government was not only involved in the flag off of the clean-up by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo but has at various fora harped on the need for the Federal Government to expedite work on the clean-up exercise.
The Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) also held its annual scientific conference in Port Harcourt in which the state government was fully represented.
Reviewing the out-gone year in a telephone interview with The Tide, the state Commissioner for Environment, Prof. (Mrs) Roseline Konya said that the year had been very challenging as people were not obeying environmental laws of the state.
Konya said that despite this challenge, the government has done well in the area of flood control, the black soot and general environmental cleanliness. She said that for the new year, the administration would improve on sanitation exercise, build more public conveniences across the state as well as complete the scrap- to- wealth project at Kira in Tai Local Government Area.
Similarly, an Environmentalist, Prince William Chinwo, described the out-gone year as one that has seen landmarks in environmental activities.
Prince Chinwo told The Tide in an interview that the ongoing dredging of the Ntawogba creek was a major achievement by the administration in its bid to rid the city of incessant flooding .
He also commended the administration for the series of campaigns against the dumping of refuse into gutters and stressed the need for the situation to be sustained in the new year.
Several environmentalists also commended the government for its effort in tackling environmental challenges in the out-gone year.
This is why the efforts must be sustained to ensure a cleaner environment for Rivers people in the new year.
Some residents of Port Harcourt and its environs have reacted to the impending flooding in parts of the country, including Rivers state.
It would be recalled that the federal government last week predicted flooding in some states in the country, including Rivers State.
A cross session of residents who spoke to The Tide on the issue said time has come for residents to be careful about the way they managed their waste, especially at this time of the year.
According to them, people must avoid blocking water channels as well as indiscriminate dumping of waste into water channels.
Speaking with The Tide, an Environmentalist, Elder Blessing Jackson Tiko, called for caution by residents of Port Harcourt and its environs
Tiko who was a former deputy operational officer Phalga Environmental Sanitation Taskforce, said people must be conscious of the way and manner that they manage their waste.
“We know that we have the rain and if you watch it is coming especially this month of July,it would rain and rain and rain
“We have to be very conscious of how we manage our environmental system, the way we throw our waste and how we evacuate it so that every where will be open for water to move freely
“Water doesn’t want blockage, water wants free flow, ’he said
Tiko urged state governments to liaise with the federal government and development agencies to dredge and open up river channels to enable Water move freely.
He particularly called on the Niger Delta Basine Development Authority and the Niger Delta Development Commission to liaise with state governments in the quest to end flooding in the states.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alice. A. Alabo a trader at Mile 3 Port Harcourt, urged the state government to do something on the constant flooding at the Abuja bypass in Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt,
She said the bypass is always flooded at every little rainfalls stressing that something must be done about it.
Alabo also told The Tide Correspondents that the Abuja bypass has no receptacles and called on the management of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to provide receptacles for the people, to ensure proper waste disposal in the area.
“The government should provide us with receptacles for us to properly place our waste which is causing the flooding in the area.
A shop owner Dickey, Livia Marko lemanted the incessant flooding along the Abuja bypass, adding that the situation is affecting their businesses.
“We have been begging the Rivers State Government and the local government to come to our aid.
“The Ego Line Progressive Union contributes N10,000 every year to make sure that we evacuate the drainage.
“We called the Hausa boys to come and clean from the beginning to the end of the tunnel which leads to the Interwoba
“So immediately after each rainfall within 10 minutes it will dry otherwise we cannot stay in our shop.
“I am begging the government to come to our rescue, even if they want to open the gutter or canal. It will help in preventing the flooding or they should clean the gutters starting from Ikwerre Road to the Interwoba axis”, he said
On his part,Mr. Ajaka Olawa, lamented that the flooding in Timber area by Abuja bypass area is so terrible that no businesses can easily be carried on in the area.
He blamed it on the continuous blockage of drainages
. “I can’t remember the last time the government came to clean the drainage, so when it rains we find it difficult to stay here.
“Some of our shops are wet because of the flooding. And if the rain falls heavily, we pack our goods. If not. they get damaged, and I am expecting this message to reach the government for them to do something about it”
“The people, the government gives the job are not being followed up, that’s why the road is still looking bad,
“The government is trying, but they should put more effort to make sure that the jobs are being carried out.
Also, Mr. Chukuma said, during the flooding along Abuja bypass by Timber, no activities take place.
He said that if rain falls, either little or heavy, none can use the road because the road will be inundated by water. Sometimes it takes two to three days for the water to dry.
According to him, eight years ago, the former governor was here to see things for himself, but nothing happened till he left office.
By: Victoria Gilbert / Ossia Victory
Following the rising impact of toxic waste in the Niger Delta communities in Nigeria, an Ecological Think Tank, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has urged oil-producing communities in the region to monitor their environment and report incidents of pollution or other environmental hazards in real time to appropriate authorities.
The Project Manager, Communities and Culture, HOMEF, Cadmus Atake gave the advice last Friday during a Community Environmental Monitoring Training for the people of Nembe, Town-Brass in Bayelsa and Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom States respectively which was held in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Atake said though the extractive activities of oil companies have impacted negatively on the communities, the people still have a role to play in protecting the environment by not throwing plastics in the water bodies or engaging in activities inimical to the environment.
He said, “The purpose is to train the people on how they can monitor their environment that has been impacted by extractive activities, for them to observe the changes that occur in their environment and things they see when they go out to fish.”
Atake also harped on the need for documentation and reporting of the identified environmental challenges or pollution, saying that monitoring without reporting would be an effort in futility even as he tasked them with the accuracy, authenticity and originality of data without any mutilation.
He encouraged people to use mobile phones to take real-time photos and videos without editing the images in the case of pollution or oil spills.
His words, “Reporting is an essential aspect of any monitoring activity. It affords the opportunities to track the activity and its impacts. It makes an activity visible and draws attention to it. Also, it helps to identify associated risks and to know the required controls and learning outcomes needed to prevent the reoccurrence of failures of an activity. No monitoring exercise is complete without a report of observations and a point of action.
“You must identify what caused the pollution, state the name of the community and landmark and if possible, use GPS, time and date the pollution was observed.”
One of the participants, OmusuoDieworio from Bayelsa State noted that apart from the activities of the multinationals, the people have contributed to the disappearance of fishes in the rivers by dumping refuse and plastic wastes inside the river which posed a great threat to fishes even as he urged community leaders to promulgate laws prohibiting that and the youth leaders to ensure the enforcement.
“Our people should be sensitized on the hazards of toxic waste. We should put laws that are binding on us. Our fishermen should discipline themselves enough after drinking sachet water eating should not drop the waterproof inside the water. They should also be discouraged from using dynamite and other chemicals for fishing as all these are harmful to both the aquatic animals and human beings that will consume it.” He said.
Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, UmoIsua-Ikoh of the Peace Pact Development Foundation, said the provision in the PIA where the community should forfeit its 3% development fund in case of pipeline vandalism criminalizes the community and should be expunged noting that no community will agree to vandalize pipeline but an individual or a criminal.
He said they should go after anyone who vandalises pipelines and not make the entire community bear the brunt of one person.
On his part, Stephen Oduware, the Program Manager at Fossil Politics, called on the communities to network with CSOs, CBOs, doctors, lawyers, media especially those from their communities and other community members who have the community at heart to advocate at all fronts.
“The community people should partner with CSOs, CBOs so that they will be able to advocate from all fronts from the health implication of this pollution from the legal and human right violations as a result of this pollution, land grabbing and then they will be able to get well-researched works from the academics, we believe that with this network they will be able to push for the justice they needed.” He said.
The Delta State Govern-
ment says it is working hard to tackle the issue of climate change in the state.
Special Adviser to the state Governor on Sustainable Development Goals) (SDGs, Lady Diana Eyo _Enoette, said this in an interview with newsmen during the launching of Green City Project in Port Harcourt.
She said the government was doing this by raising awareness on the impact of climate change in the State and also control the indiscriminate dumping of waste across the State.
Eye-Emoette said government has also setup scouts across the State to embark on tree planting campaign in all nooks and crannies of Delta State.
She said time has come for governments across the Niger Delta region to create more awareness on climate change, adding that continuous human activities in the region have made it vulnerable to climate change
Diana described her government as a leading voice on climate change as far as the Niger Delta region is concerned and stressed the need for other governments in the region to follow suit.
She said Green City’s initiatives have become a potent weapon in fighting climate change, stressing that the initiative is coming at the appropriate time.
The special advise said governments across the country should key into the green city’s projects inorder to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a university teacher, Professor Magnus Onuoha, has called for conscious efforts by governments across Africa to check carbon emissions.
The university teacher also described the green city’s initiatives as a safe avenue for emerging cities in Africa.
Prof Onuoha, who spoke via videophone described the project as innovative, adding that climate change is real and no longer fallacies.
According to him “it is glaringly telling on our faces and the possibility of it going away is not there”.
He said.
By: John Bibor