Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has embarked on training oil host community members on methods of fostering a united front in seeking environmental justice from oil multinationals.
Following the divide-and-rule tactics often used by most International Oil Companies (IOCs), to evade the capability of  environmental crimes, the organisation said it was imperative for communities to channel their focus on forming a solidarity front against such a plot.
Programme Manager of HOMEF, Stephen Oduwari, who spoke to newsmen in Eteo Community in Eleme Council Area of Rivers State, at the weekend, said the  training was aimed at reflating on certain aspects of what community people should know for themselves so as to come together to push for a healthy, clean and deserving environment.
“ You will recall that there have been a series of oil spills in Eteo community and it calls for serious action. This is because most of these oil-ravaged communities pay a heavy price for oil exploration and exploitation. They pay with their health, and livelihoods because they have been bombarded from the air with gas flaring, from the land pollution in their farms and pollution in their water. So they have lost a lot. And this has reduced the life expectancy of people living in this region. So the idea is to build community power for resilience and in solidarity to amplify their voices,” he said.
Also, the coordinator of OilWatch Nigeria, Kentebe Ebiaridor, who noted the relevance of the training noted that in most communities in the Niger Delta, the IOCs employ the divide and rule tactics to cover up crimes, while expressing optimism that by such training the community members would stand together and kick against such ploy.
“We centre our discussion around solidarity – looking at how to strengthen community relationships among themselves and all ties of the community to see how the word solidarity can make meaning to them in their everyday lives. This, for us, is very important because it brings about unity in the community.”
One of the participants, Gabriel Kaa-Olowi, who spoke to our source said the capacity training will amplify their voice to demand justice, just as it has unravelled the dangers of being docile whenever there is a spillage.
He said: “Sometimes NNPCL pipelines do get busted may be due to mechanical malfunctioning or wearing out because we, as community people know that their facilities are manned by tight security, so I would not say they are vandalised. And when oil spills in our land and water, they secretly come to the community and seal up the leaking point and go without our knowledge. They do not make efforts to pay compensation, behaving as if nothing happened. So the training for us will help us to speak with one voice and help us hold these people responsible for their actions.”
Speaking on community responsibility,Ken Henshaw of “WE The PEOPLE’  said, every member of a community has a Responsibility towards anothers.
He said fighting for environment reparations in their communities cannot succeed without unity.
According to him, part of the responsibility of community members is being involved in decision making, adding that community responsibility helps to build strong bond for the overall development of the community.
The activist blamed disunity in various communities on the role of oil companies and descrimination on the sharing of community’s wealth.
Henshaw said, the event was to build community resistance to exploitation.
Also speaking Jacob Iniodu of Kebetkache Women Development And Resource Centre urged communities for development plans to drive development in communities
Iniodu said, needs assessment also enables community members to determine what they want.
According to him, responsibility of community people is to contribute to what can drive development in a community.

By: John Bibor