A coalition of non-gov
ernmental organizations: Women in mining in Afruica, Kebetkache Women Resource Development Centre and the Environmental Right Action (GRA) have decried the continous pollution of Goi and Ebocha communities in Rivers State by oil companies.
The groups, which said this during a fact-finding tour to the two communities located in Gokana and Ogba, Egbema/Ndoni local Government Areas, respectively, said that there is an urgent need for the cleanup of the communities by the Federal Government to save the communities from extinction.
Representatives of the three organizations who came from Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Ogun, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi Zamfara and Rivers State, particularly urged the womenfolk in the two communities to take up the challenges of seeking environmental redress in their communities.
The co-ordinators of the women groups Miss Emem Okon and Betty Abba, said that the fact finding visit was to sought for a united race by the women against the continuous destraction of their communities by oil mining companies.
Miss Emem Okon, who is the coordinator of Kebetkache Women Resource Development Centre, particularly urged the women in communities affected by mining activities to be ready to make sacrifices to change their situation, stressing that all the available platform must be utilized to make their voices heared.
She described as very horrible the condition of Goi community, stressing that their presence in the area would boost attention to the devastation as well as bring succor to the natives who are now refugees due to the activities of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
On his part, the Secretary General of Goi community, Mr Friday Mene Koi, said that oil pollution from neighbouring Bodo and BomuOil Manifold was responsible for the pollution of Goi community.
He said that the situation was confirmed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (HypRep) which had mounted a sign board in the community.
Mr Koi however, said that the HypRep Bill board is the only government presence in the community despite the continuous visit to the area by both national and international delegations.
“Even the senate committee on petroleum has been here worst still, the community is excluded from the Shell Gmou Corporate Social Responsibility package for host communities” he said.
Benice Iragunim