Environmental activist and lawyer-turned inventor, Barrister Azibaola Robert, has again commenced new round of enlightenment campaign against deforestation and environmental degradation of the Niger Delta rainforests.
The activist who recently received an award for his invention of an electric car as well as other innovations in the Nigerian automobile industry has organised the first of its kind ‘bonfire night’ to push forward his environmental activism campaigns.
The event which was tagged, ‘An invitation from Azibaola Robert for a bonfire night’ in Otakeme Community, which is the organiser’s home town in Ogbia Council area of Bayelsa State featured the reliving of environmental features and old experiences by natives and non-natives alike in the Niger Delta rainforest.
Speaking on the rationale behind the event, the activist who also doubles as the Chairman of Kakatar Group Limited as well as Zeetin Engineering Nigeria Limited stated that he intends to use the programme to create awareness and enlighten the people of the Niger Delta on the importance of the Niger Delta rainforest and why it has to be protected.
The Kakatar and Zeetin Engineering groups chairman who described the trend as worrisome, cautioned against the high spate of indiscriminate logging and wildlife hunting, saying if not curtailed, it could spiraled into total extinction of trees, some specie of fishes and animals habitating the Niger Delta rainforests.
The Tide also learnt that prior to the ‘bonfire night’ and enlightenment programme in Otakeme Community, Robert had alongside staff members of Zeetin and Kakatar groups in company of media practitioners made the first ever 14-days expedition into the Niger Delta rainforests in which Otakeme Community’s forest was chosen as the pilot forest for the programme.
He hinted that with indiscriminate logging, wildlife hunting by natives and non-natives of the Niger Delta region and uncontrolled environment pollution caused by activities of multinational companies ongoing unchecked in the region, he was afraid the region’s flora and fauna is headed for obliteration.
Robert enumerated some of the trees that were extract, saying upon carrying out his first 14-days expedition into the Otakeme forest recently, heart rending discoveries were made as to the level of the distruction of the biodiversity of the area.
”I’m not doing this event because I want to criticise the government for not doing enough to protect our rainforests. The Niger Delta is called the rainforest because when it rains in the communities here, it also rains in the Niger Delta region’s forests.
“The Niger Delta has one of the largest rainforests in the world. The largest rainforest is called the Amazon rainforest some where between Brazil and other American nations. We must protect this blessing given to us by God,” he said.

By: AriweraIbibo-Howells, Yenagoa