Expert Advises Govt On Environment

By JOSES SEDE

Host communities of oil firms in Akwa-Ibom state yesterday, submitted a bill of about N3 billion to the National Assembly for onwards transmission to the government and its relevant agencies to combat environmental degradation that is plaguing the areas.

In a press briefing with NASS correspondents yesterday, Mr. Sunday Inyang who led the Mbo Youth Coalition on the visit, explained that the sum was meant to among others, care for sand filling of the gully affected areas, embankment of the sea shores, and construction of bridges to link the villages to the outside world.

Mr. Inyang who was full of praises for members of the National Assembly for their show of understanding and concern for the hapless rural communities, also disclosed that they had at their last meeting with the legislators been directed to forward a proposal for development of the areas as per their bills for possible inclusion in the 2009 Budget.

He explained that arrangement was being made by the lawmakers to also constitute a round table discussion between the host communities and the oil companies with a view to reconciling them for better cooperation.

The youth association who had visited the NASS last month to draw attention of the legislators to their plight with a view to enlisting their support had met with Senator James Manager and Hon. Abdul Ahmed Ningi, both chairman of Niger Delta Committee of the two chambers of NASS.

They had on the visit threatened a legal redress against the oil companies in Akwa Ibom state for abdicating their social responsibilities, if nothing urgent was done to call them to order.

The youths bemoaned that about 90% of the land mass, block houses, churches, schools, economic trees and ancestral graves of the oil rich communities have been sub merged in the sea rendering thousands of people homeless, due to activities of the oil companies.

He also said the problems of the area were compounded by the fact that even the Niger Delta Development Commission does not recognize the area for intervention , noting that the only project proposed by the NDDC in its 2008 budget for the area was a Naval jetty.

“Of all the NDDC projects (Since 2001 till date) awarded for Mbo communities, 50% of such projects are invincible, 30% are uncompleted (some at the foundation level) while only 20% have been completed”, Inyang had complained to the legislators.