‘Women, Worst Victims Of Environmental Pollution’

The Women’s Wing of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HostCON), Rivers State has described women as the major victims of environmental pollutions in the Niger Delta.
The Director project and programme, HostCON women wing, Rivers State, Ambassador (Mrs) Christy Iwezor who stated this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said that oil explorations in the region has reduced women to the status of beggars. Mrs. Iwezor said that the livelihood of women, especially in the rural areas had been destroyed, stressing that firewoods which most women depend on as source of fuel is nowhere to be found.
She said that the Association is liaising with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the region with a view to ensuring that women benefit from oil and gas activities.
Mrs. Iwezor also said that the Association is seeking for the involvement of more women in oil and gas activities in the region.
According to her, women constituted greater percentages of the population of the region and therefore, deserves to be carried along in the scheme of things, stressing that the organisation is determined to ensure that this is done.
“For those of us who may want to ask questions on why the formation of HostCON women wings, may I also remind that aside the Aba women riot of 1929, which many now consider as history today, the disruption and stoppage of oil exploration and exploitation activities in Rumuekpe (1991) Ogoniland 1993 and most recently at K. Dere (2018) all attest to the fact that women are key players and be carried along in the scheme of things if development on the oil and gas sector will succeed.”
She said that HostCON Women Wing is poised to mobilise, educate and sensitise women from oil and gas producing communities to be aware to their responsibilities and know that they have a role to play, socially, politically and economically to support fair and genuine development in their communities by being catalyst for development and not sponsors and agents of destabilisation in their various communities.