The Convener of SaveNigerDeltaEnvironmentNow,
and Executive Director of Connected Advocacy, Prince Isreal Orekha, has called for the building of the knowledge of indigenous community to bridge climate action gaps.
Orekha also called for the protection of the earth and to raise the bar on environmental justice.
He made the call at the Local Community Summit on oil divestment and environmental justice held in Agbarho local community in Delta State.
The summit, which brought together community stakeholders from the Niger Delta oil polluted communities , has the theme: “Strengthening Indigenous Knowledge to Bridge Climate Action Gaps in Transiting from Fossil-Fuels.
The convener acknowledged the Lush Charity Pot for their support for grassroot environmental justice and the protection of the earth.
He stressed the need to always put the issue of local community oil divestment and environmental justice on the front burner.
“We are the people that bear the brunt of the impact on environmental degradation and climate crisis,” Orekha said.
He said that transitioning from fossil fuels and strengthening indigenous knowledge to bridge climate action gaps was urgently needed.
He noted that after the recent COP28 conference, the imperative to ensure that local community voices were heard in oil divestment and environmental justice became more pronounced
due to the constant neglect of local community issues at COP28, and other regional meetings.
The executive director said that the devastating condition of our environment underscore the urgent need for action, particularly in regions like the Niger Delta, where communities bear the disproportionate burden of climate change impacts.
Quioting the Environmental Protection Agency, Orekha said that the current change in weather/atmosphere across the country is not harmful but rather an extreme form of air pollution with dire consequences on our health.
Orekha said that a critical look at the International Oil Communities ( IOCs) divestment without visible decommissioning plans in play to pay compensations, our community would be left with stranded assets, stranded personnels and a stranded community.
Orekha added that the need for environmental accountability was imperative.
“We hope we can find ways to work together to create a more sustainable future for our planet,” Orekha said.
The event was packed with engaging conversations and dialogue from top notch speakers.
Babawale Obayanju who delved into the indigenous beliefs and practices of the people to establish a ground for environmental justice and Umfon Gabriel shed light on IOCs divestment saga going on in Nigeria, why it’s unethical and how we can hold these polluters accountable.
One of his overarching solutions was beneficial ownership disclosure.
One of the thrilling parts of the event was the women airing their concerns on pollution, they complained about the scarcity and poorly matured fishes.
They also worried about the future of their children and poor agricultural yield.
The event was well organized and strategic. Babatunde was able to connect the reality of Agbaho people to climate action.
He emphasized action, he helped them see what the problem was, their implications and how they could collectively address things.
Umfon Gabriel also did exploit, he noted that ‘in order to hold IOCs accountable, we must understand the legal framework underlying the whole process
Umfon was able to implicitly reveal the limitation of the people in demanding for justice so he”empowered ” them, he showed them ways to take drastic actions.
One of his strategies is letting the people know that they have the right to demand for documentations and profiles of IOCs deals and their major stakeholders and beneficiaries.
Knowing the beneficiaries, understanding the terms and conditions of the contracts etc would give the people an edge in demanding justice.
He also emphasized youth empowerment and policy advocacy. The destiny of the people lies in their ability to act.
Heads of the community, women, youth and CSOs came out to appreciate the organizer for training and training toolkits provided and also appealled l for more community engagement until environmental justice was achieved..
