BY Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—An environmental rights group, Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth, Nigeria, yesterday led some concerned Bayelsans to protest against what they described as Chevron Nigeria Limited’s promotion of environmental terrorism in the Niger Delta region.

The group also decried Chevron’s alleged unrepentant behaviour in persistently dodging responsibility for the mess created in the region and urged the company to end the impunity in its areas of operation.

Executive Director, ERA/FOEN, Dr. Godwin Ojo, led the protest in Yenagoa to mark the International Day Against Chevron, tagged, “Ending the Impunity Now.”

Ojo said the event was aimed at drawing global attention to the ecological devastation and ecocide allegedly perpetrated by Chevron.

He insisted that ending Chevron’s impunity means that the company takes responsibility and liability for the environmental destruction from consistent harmful decisions that had resulted in the loss of lives and sources of livelihood.

“This ecological crime against humanity or ecocide, must be accounted for by the company and it’s Chief Executive Officers,” he said.

ERA called on the United Nations Human Rights Commission to ensure a uniform global and legally binding mechanism to put an end to environmental racism and bring corporations to account for their crimes of ecocide and crimes against humanity.

The group also insisted that Chevron conduct environmental and social assessment of the environmental and economic damages associated with its operations, especially the Apoi North incident.

Ojo said: “The international oil companies operating in Niger Delta do so with reckless abandon. Transnational Company TNC are often not keeping to their internal regulations and national laws regulating the oil and gas industry as the activities of Chevron have come to scrutiny.”

He recalled the Apoi North gas rig explosion which resulted in a fire outbreak and release of toxic chemical pollutants into the Atlantic Ocean resulting in poisoning of fishes and other aquatic animals at Ikebiri, Ezetu and Kolauoma, in Southern Ijaw communities in Bayelsa state.

ERA also condemned the killing of two youths during a peaceful protest in 1998 at Ilaje in Ondo State by soldiers engaged by the oi company.

The group, however, commended the Bayelsa State Government for implementing a social security scheme for the elderly in a bid to reduce old age poverty and stressed the need for national and state policy backing the institutionalising of a National Basic Income Scheme for all Nigerians who are unemployed.