Representatives and leaders of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria from the five Niger Delta States who are Victims of Shell Bonga Oil Spill on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevailed on multi-national oil giants operating in the oil rich region to put an end to the environmental degradation and pollution in the region.
The fishermen at a press conference in Benin, the Edo State Capital also lamented that the continuous effect of activities of the oil companies has not only destroyed their main source of livelihood but also posed a serious health danger to the people.
Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria and winner of the 2022 Goldman Environment Prize Winner for Africa, Chima Williams, in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on behalf of the group acknowledged what he described as the positive steps of the President in environmental protection and preservation over the years.
He, however appealed to the President to ensure that petroleum extractive companies are compelled to live up to their responsibility of restoring the Nigerian environment.
According to him, “Mr President, I want to use this medium to appeal to you to use your good offices and as a caring father to bring all the parties together including all the petroleum extractive companies, such as Shell, Exxon Mobil , Nigerian Agip Oil Company and Total Energy and the victims of their operations, relevant government agencies and authorities to discuss workable solutions to the environmental despoliation arising from their operational methodologies in the country.”
“A situation where we currently have the multinational oil companies running away from their responsibilities of restoring the Nigerian environment to the way it was before their extractive adventures and restituting citizens whose livelihoods patterns have been either distorted or dislodged by the dislocation of their societal fabrics in the name of divestment, should also be addressed and discouraged untill the needful is done.
“I believe that as a listening father you have always been to the downtrodden masses of Nigerians especially the Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria members victims of Shell Bonga Oil Spill , you will bring succour to them before your administration winds up.