Activist Decries Pollution Of N’Delta Environment

A minority rights activist in the Niger Delta region, Rev. Dr. Sokari Soberekon,  has expressed displeasure at the impoverishment of the ecological lives of the oil producing communities by the operations of oil/gas companies in the area.
He maintained that the oil/gas exploration for over six decades has devastated the source of livelihood of the people in the Niger Delta and as such called for adequate compensation and economic reparations for the people of the area.
Soberekon, who said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt also called for the immediate restructuring of the country into six autonomous political zones to correct the faulty federalism being practised in the country that ignited corruption that has brought so much suffering and hardship not only to the people of the Niger Delta but to majority of the people in the country.
It’s my firm belief that restructuring the country into six autonomous political zones will not only bring development and peace to the country but will always foster healthy competition among the zones that will solve the problems of unemployment, high crime rate, hunger, anger, agitation, underdevelopment, inequality and restiveness seen all over the country.
He said, “you can’t put a new wine into an old bottle for the new wine will remain old. Therefore, the country needs to be restructured before putting new structures in place otherwise every new structure put in place will be swallowed by the old one.”
“In the same way, whoever wins the presidential election will not perform to the satisfaction of the citizenry except he/she restructure the country into six autonomous political zones to foster economic growth and development and enable every zone to operate independently for the betterment of the whole country.”
The activist also urged the Federal Government to revisit abandoned projects in the country and revive them.
He said, the federal airport that was built by the then King Deite administration in Brass should be revived for the benefits of the people of the Niger Delta that had contributed so much for the development of the country at their detriment.

By: Adigun Oreoluwa