…Says Nigeria not serious about climate change mitigation
Nelson Chidiebere
A renowned environmentalist, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey has called for the need to build people power and resilience to challenge environmental exploitive systems in the Niger Delta region.
Bassey, who is the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation(HOMEF) made the call at the School of Ecology held in Port Harcourt.
In his address, Bassey emphasized that while the members of oil host communities bear the brunt of oil exploration which over time has inflicted violence on humans and the ecosystem, it was expedient for members to build sustainable resistance that must be none-violent.
He stated that by building resilience, members of communities should focus on clear objectives, insisting on key universal rights that anchor on, Right to Life, Right to a safe environment, food and water, adding that communities should not be swayed by seeking for adaptation and mitigation means.
“While the system rapaciously inflicts violence on humans, other beings, and the ecosystems, it is clear to us that sustainable resistance must be non-violent. As we reflect on this it is expedient that we know that building resilience requires a clear objective and not should not be focused merely on erecting means of adaptation and mitigation that calms frayed nerves while the exploitation and abuse continue unchecked.”
According to him, anything that works against Mother Earth is crass, blind exploitation and must be overturned, insisting that as an organisation its position must be to terminate the barbaric exploitation of the earth and people by showing ingratitude to nature that nurture human.
He, however, noted that the Nigerian government and other governments in Africa must have a clear position while going to the Conference of Parties(COP28) in Dubai and to make very good demands.
He said: “I think Nigeria can not talk of climate change and climate justice, we have to practice it at home by stopping gas flaring because we can not be faring gas and demand climate justice.
“Nigerian government is in a difficult to show the world that they are serious about climate change.
“Nigeria has to step forward and begin to do things that will show that we are serious. This is because climate change is already washing away our communities but so far we are not convinced that the government understand the enormity of the problem.”
