Borno State in northeast Nigeria has recorded its first Lassa fever outbreak in almost five decades. The last confirmed outbreak of the deadly disease was in 1969. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that it is supporting the government to contain the outbreak in an area of the country which is already coping with a humanitarian crisis resulting from years of conflict.
The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with specific rodent urine or faeces
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Mshelia, said recently that the case, which was isolated from a middle-aged woman from Zabramarri village near Maiduguri, was the first confirmed outbreak of Lassa fever in the state in 48 years.
In order to contain the outbreak, the WHO emergency humanitarian health team in the state has taken a number of actions. This includes rapid training on clinical case management, contact tracing, mobilising a network of healthcare workers at the hospital, and building public awareness.
Fifty-four people who had contact with the index case have been identified and will be monitored for 21 days, according to WHO protocols, to ensure that any Lassa fever-related incidence is immediately contained.
In addition, WHO says it has provided the State Ministry of Health and the hospitals with personal protection equipment including gloves, boots, goggles and masks, decontamination supplies, infrared thermometers as well as medical and laboratory supplies.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of two to 21 days incubation period that occurs in West Africa including Nigeria. The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with specific rodent (multimamate) urine or faeces. Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur by body fluid contacts, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevention and control measures.
From Fiji to Fort Worth and Fortaleza to Freiburg, UN to spotlight role of arts and culture in climate action
UNFCCC spokesperson, Nick Nuttall (middle), with Julie’s Bicycle CEO, Alison Tickell (right) and a representative of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group at the Salzburg Global Seminar
Effective from Friday, March 10 2017, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be shining a weekly spotlight on arts and cultural responses to climate change and global efforts to take action. The UN body in return expects feedbacks in respect of innovative and cutting edge projects.
Across the globe the arts and cultural community has been rising to the challenge of climate change: turning venues and events into laboratories for sustainable living; policymakers working with artists, audiences and consumers campaigning for change; cultural leaders speaking out; and artists producing work that speaks to the heart.
The UNFCCC states that human beings live by values shaped through culture, communities, and experiences, adding that policy is increasingly recognising the importance of culture to sustainable development.
“Who we identify with, how our values are expressed, and how we ‘feel’ about the world are all critical triggers for change. The creative community, existing as it does at the heart of culture, has a particular part to play.”
The organisation believes highlighting creative responses to climate change will provide a vital way to set the scene as nations work to implement their commitments under the Paris Climate Change Agreement and as it prepares for the next annual UN climate conference taking place in Bonn, Germany in November 2017 under the Presidency of the Pacific small island of Fiji.
Mr Nuttall says: “Art and cultural works, from painting and sculpture to theatre, music and poetry have the unique power to shift perceptions and provide emotional connections to complex issues that are facing communities and countries world-wide”.
“There can be few subjects as complex and as challenging as the existential threat of climate change, but we need the arts to shape the discourse and provide new impulses for action. For it is the decisions taken today by governments but also individuals, cities and companies that will echo down the centuries, defining the lives of billions of people alive today and many more who are yet to be born,” he adds.
UNFCCC points out that it is looking for creative responses to climate change to be featured on its website in a weekly feature. “Send 100 words briefly outlining the project, how it is addressing climate change, and what the impact has been, along with any images and weblinks to us. Chosen stories will be contacted and asked for a 200 to 500-word write-up to be shaped together with the UNFCCC communications team,” it concludes.
A nine-year revitalisation process for the Convention for Cooperation in the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Atlantic Coast of the West, Central and Southern Africa Region (otherwise known as the Abidjan Convention) will effectively come to an end in a couple of weeks’ time.
L-R: 1. Mr. Abou Bamba (Executive Secretary of the Abidjan Convention / UN Environment), Mrs Anne Désirée Ouloto (Ivorian Minister of Salubrity, Environment and Sustainable Development) and Mrs Angèle Luh (Head of West Africa Sub-regional Office, UN Environment), at a media session in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, March 9 2017
At the 12th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP12) to the Abidjan Convention scheduled to hold from Monday, March 27 to Friday March 31 2017 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Convention’s active phase will henceforth become operational.
With the theme “Integrated oceans management policies in Africa”, COP12 will in short ensure the commencement of the implementation of the Convention and its protocols.
Indeed, the event’s importance was highlighted by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at a media session in Abidjan on Thursday, March 9 2017.
“Abidjan is set to become the epicentre of the debate on the Southeast Atlantic Ocean and adjoining coastal areas when Parties to the Abidjan Convention meet for their 12th Conference, which is a major event in the life of the Convention,” noted the Convention’s Executive Secretary, Abou Bamba. “It will mark the end of the Convention’s revitalisation phase. You could say that it will signal a new start, a new take-off.”
Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Sanitation, Environment and Sustainable Development, Anne Désirée Ouloto, stressed that “the Abidjan Convention is vitally important to Côte d’Ivoire”.
“It is in Abidjan that the convention was signed 36 years ago,” she recalled. “It is here that its headquarters is located; but, above all, the themes it refers to are extremely relevant to Côte d’Ivoire and its people,” she added, highlighting issues such as coastal erosion and land-based pollution, while encouraging the media to play their part in educating the public and raising its awareness on issues related to the marine and coastal environment.
Both the Executive Secretary of the Convention, whose secretariat is provided by UN Environment (UNEP), and the Environment Minister stressed that the marine and coastal environment does not only present challenges, but also offers opportunities. Citing the example of the hundreds of kilometers of lagoons in Côte d’Ivoire – which are being cleaned under an ongoing sanitation plan – they urged the young people in particular to take advantage of the economic prospects that the sustainable use of this type of natural coastal resources can offer.
Ratified in 1984, the Abidjan Convention covers a geographic area that comprises 22 countries, 19 of which have already ratified it. According to UNEP, it constitutes a unique institutional referential framework for all initiatives linked to the protection and conservation of the marine and coastal environment along Africa’s Atlantic seaboard, and to the sustainable development of the area’s resources.
A revitalisation process that began in 2008 has, besides the transfer of the Convention’s headquarters from Nairobi to Abidjan, seen the updating of its fundamental texts as well as the strengthening of collaboration with an increased number of partners.
The Conference of Parties (COP), the Convention’s highest decision-making body, meets every two to three years. Its 12th edition, according to the organisers, will bring together participants from the world over, including scientists and representatives of inter-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies and environmental NGOs, in addition to the delegations representing the Parties.
“It will also be attended by representatives of communities affected by the various phenomena – including coastal erosion, unplanned coastal urbanisation and marine pollution – and in some cases involved in the search for solutions,” disclosed Mr Bamba.
The Conference will begin with an expert segment from 27 to 29 March, followed by the ministerial conference on 30 and 31 March.
Parallel to the official discussions, there will be debates on specific themes such as aquatic wild meat, coastal erosion, lagoons, oil and gas, clean energy and the blue economy, as well as exhibition stands in which organisations and institutions will present their activities to the public.
Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, has disclosed that the Federal Government will power nine universities in the country with solar energy under efforts to ensure a clean and healthy environment through the issuance of sovereign green bonds.
Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril
The minister made the submission on Thursday, March 9 2017 when he paid a working visit to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Solar Energy Ltd (NSEL) Plant located in Karshi, Abuja.
Jibril described the decision to power the tertiary institutions with solar energy as a laudable development which, according to him, is in line with the nation’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) that aims at reducing carbon emissions in line with global best practices.
According to the minister, his visit to the solar energy plant was to identify with as well as offer the ministry’s support to the local manufacturing company in the production of solar panel. He stressed that renewable energy is a critical focus of the soon-to-be-launched green bond project.
He further maintained that solar energy would encourage the use of local content which will in turn help the country to save foreign exchange as well as create employment for the teeming youths.
Conducting the minister on a facility tour of the plant, Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI Solar Energy Ltd, Prof, Mohammed Sanni Haruna, noted that the plant was the first Solar PV Module/Solar Panel manufacturing company in Nigeria.
He also revealed that the plant has a 7.5MW capacity and it can produce all sizes and capacities of Solar PV module.
Haruna explained that NASENI Solar Energy Ltd was established by the Federal Government to primarily reduce cost of quality solar panel by producing solar panels that are 100% made in Nigeria.
He further said that the company’s products can compete favourably with any imported solar panel in Nigeria.
Lagos State in south-west Nigeria has succeeded in making blood donation compulsory for husbands as a condition for registering their pregnant wives for anti-natal care at General Hospitals across the state, but indications are that the policy could aggravate the woes of many women of child bearing age.
Senior Nurse Ade Emmanuel addressing pregnant women and their husbands on blood donation
These are women who have no one to donate for them, because their family members are either medically unfit to donate blood or they just do not want to fill that void for reasons best known to them.
It was gathered that such hapless pregnant women either fall back to private hospitals, traditional birth attendants, prayer houses, or they just stay at home without any care, and waiting what fate holds for them, alive or dead.
Mrs. Obiaju Philips in Ikorodu area of Lagos said she passed through a pregnancy experience she would love to forget because her husband failed to donate blood as required at the hospital in her neighbourhood.
Her words: “I passed through hell but I think God was with me, for I would have been dead many years ago that I wedded. I lost my two first babies, so when I became pregnant for the third issue, the management of the primary health centre that I attended refused to admit me. They said they only admit women carrying their first pregnancy. So they referred me to the General Hospital here in Ikorodu.
“On getting to the hospital, the nurses and midwives incharge said I must bring my husband to donate blood, otherwise I would not be admitted. My husband said his faith did not accept blood donation. No plea on earth made him change his mind. I cried all day and was devastated. No where to run to. So all the dizziness, feet swelling, persistent head ache and other pregnancy challenges, I bore at home without any care.”
Mrs Phillips, who now has four children and has stopped procreation, said when the pregnancy challenges became unbearable, she enrolled for anti-natal at a small private hospital close to her residence at Agar Community in Ikorodu.
However, she noted that her condition was made worse because her babies were usually breached at birth.
“I registered at the private hospital when my pregnancy was already seven months. When I was due for delivery, I didn’t deliver for nearly two weeks of labour. They said my baby was coming out with her legs instead of head. If it was in general hospital, I would have been operated upon easily at a reasonable cost. But since there was no money for CS at the private hospital, we resorted to prayers and God saved me and my baby. I passed through a similar horrible experience in all my four babies because they all came out with the leg,” she concluded.
During trips to the general hospital between February and March this year, many heavily pregnant women were seen in pain because of an apparent inability of their husbands to donate blood.
On February 2, this reporter was at the blood donation section of Ikorodu General Hospital, where about 20 young men had been waiting since 6am for the officials to take samples of their blood for a lab test to ascertain if they were fit to donate.
Only about 20 men out of husbands of up to 500 pregnant women that attended a pre-anti-natal care registration seminar were seen on the day of blood donation.
One of the men said there was nothing wrong about compelling them to donate blood, pointing out that he had previously donated twice for his two children.
“I have donated twice, and this would be my third time. It is the only way the hospital gets blood to feed its blood bank since people are yet to embrace voluntary blood donation. You know during labour women need blood, where would the blood come from if no one is donating blood? So it is a good idea.”
Another man who claimed he was in his early 30s said he would have preferred to buy blood instead of donating.
“This is about the most difficult decisions that I would take as a man. I have no choice because it is a matter of life and death. I lost my first child during delivery at a private hospital. I can’t stand a repeat; that is why I am here.”
After samples of their blood were extracted, the husbands were asked to come back in two hours’ time.
When they returned, it was a moment of mixed feelings as those who passed the test to donate put up smiling faces while the unfit ones wore long faces as they vacated the hospital environment with annoyance.
“I am sad. They said I can’t donate because I have low body weight. I was not the only one. Some were screened out because of insufficient blood and others had diseases which disqualified them,” explained one of the men found unworthy to donate.
Our investigation revealed that some workers of the hospital take advantage of the situation to make brisk business by helping the pregnant women to get someone to donate in place of their husbands, charging them up to N10,000 per person.
We saw as one of the secret blood dealers collected the amount from a desperate pregnant woman whose pregnancy was then in its 16th week.
Bringing out some blue hospital cards, he told the woman: “See these cards, they belong to people in your shoes whose husbands could not donate. So many things can disqualify someone, so don’t be too hard on you. It is a matter of money. If you can pay N15,000, I will help you to get someone to donate for you,” said the young man.
We followed up the lady, and discovered that she was initially rejected by the Primary Health Centre at Ipakodo, Ikorodu which referred her to the General Hospital because, having had a difficult pregnancy in the past, only secondary health institutions are qualified to handle her case.
On February 14th, we came back to the hospital, where those whose husbands donated on February 2nd were to be registered for anti-natal services.
Up to 500 women with various stages of pregnancies were seen.
After a seminar, the Chief Matron who said she had been practicing since 1983, asked all those whose husbands could not donate to leave.
“Whether your husband lives abroad or anywhere, better call him to come back home and donate, or find a family member from 13 years upward to come and donate on your behalf. As you can see, we are only with the cards of successful women. So if your card is still with you, that means you are not admitted. We will only attend to you when we collect your cards indicating your husbands or his relatives have donated.”
Another nurse, Mrs. Ade Emmanuel, addressed the crowd, saying: “Blood donation is very important. Without it we might not be able to register you. So feed your husbands well, encourage them, be there for them so that they will accept to come and donate a pint of blood for us. A particular woman was transfused 12 pints of blood. Others were given different pints. Where do you expect us to get the blood if they dont donate? You may be lucky not to need transfusion, but others are not that fortunate and we would not allow them to die. Your husbands must contribute in saving lives by donating.”
The unfortunate women left with some shedding tears.
One of the women sent home was seven months pregnant.
The woman who had paid N10,000 to a blood dealer was among those sent away.
“She did not even care to hear our side of the story. I thought she would allow us to be coming for anti-natal while our husbands feed themselves well and come another day to try if they are fit to donate.
“But she just didn’t want to listen to any excuse. My husband and I are devastated,” she lamented as tears rolled down her cheeks.
When asked what happened to the one that she paid for the last time, she explained, “He told me he brought two different people to donate for me but were both declared unfit. Where will I find someone to bail me out? My two siblings who I am sure must be fit are in the village.”
We ran into a husband of one of the pregnant women.
The young man named Jude Anang from Cross River State said his refusal to donate was because he was afraid his blood could be used on another woman rather than his wife, among other beliefs.
His words, “What if my wife does not need transfusion, what happens with my blood? Give it to another person? I can’t take that. Besides, we are in a terrible time. Some one could use my blood for ritual.”
We gathered that some men absconded because they were afraid lab test could declare them HIV positive, thus subjecting them to stigmatisation.
The issue of compulsory blood donation by husbands of women who want to use public health institutions at the secondary level of health care remains the concern of many people in Lagos.
A health journalist, Martina Ogbonna, explained, “I support blood donation for husbands. Even if their wives do not need the blood, others will need it. That is the only way to get blood to save women during delivery. Bleeding is the leading cause of death of pregnant women.
“However, I advise that since the hospital authority makes huge money from the sale of the blood, it should be lenient to women whose husbands could not donate for obvious reasons.”
To a medical doctor who wants to remain anonymous, there is need for massive awareness campaign on the need for the masses to embrace voluntary blood donation as it is done in many societies, hoping that it would effectively check the high number of Nigerian women and children who die during pregnancy, mostly because of blood shortage and bleeding.
“What you find in most instances is that we get blood from husbands of patients who had gone to register at the hospitals. They put down a pint of blood so that if there is a need for a woman to require blood in labour it can be used. But I think taking it further to actually reduce the chances of shortages in blood banks, it is important that voluntary blood donation is what should be promoted.”
Director Children Health and Nutrition, Lagos state Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara, believes that the issue of blood scarcity would be addressed as the government has embarked on voluntary blood donation drive.
“Government is in blood donation drive. Not that government needs blood but because the people in the state need blood. A lot of people appear at health facilities on emergency cases and when they require blood there is no blood to give. Government does not provide blood. It is when we come out to donate that we see blood to save lives. And blood will not affect the health of anybody in any way contrary to the general belief or myth that when you donate your blood, you have donated your life. That is very untrue.”
“Certain kinds of responses to global climate change pose serious risks to biodiversity and ecosystem services, which is why decision -makers need the best-available science when setting policy and allocating resources.”
The third session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
This was the keynote message on Tuesday, March 7 2017 from Prof. Guy Midgley, an expert on global change biology from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, addressing representatives of more than 100 governments at the 5th annual Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in Bonn, Germany.
“Rapid changes in climate can damage ecosystems and accelerate biodiversity loss,” said Prof. Midgley. “This is one compelling reason to combat global climate change. What is less well understood, however, is how climate efforts with the best intentions – such as limiting the increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees – might also harm biodiversity if not guided by careful analysis. For example, newly-planted forests may help to curb emissions that contribute to climate change – but this can come at the expense of very rich ecosystems like tropical grasslands, if these are seen as appropriate targets for afforestation. Such systems support unique biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services that are not provided by forests. Similarly, while biofuels may generate fewer emissions than fossil fuels, clearing of natural vegetation to make way for biofuel monocultures can reduce carbon storage and extract a high price in biodiversity and ecosystem services.”
Stressing the point that biodiversity protection and effective action on climate change are not mutually exclusive, Prof. Midgley added: “Protecting biodiversity can make substantial contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Reducing deforestation in tropical regions, for example, is a high priority for protecting biodiversity and can make major contributions to climate mitigation, especially when combined with other efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. But such objectives may be in conflict with needs to increase food security. New approaches, such as ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation, could help to reduce such conflicts. The bottom line is that policymakers are required to balance several challenges, and need the best scientific evidence to chart the most sustainable course.”
This need for policy-relevant knowledge saw governments at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris request the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to provide a special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 degrees.
Sir Robert Watson, Chair of IPBES and former Chair of the IPCC, said: “Successful climate action can never be at the expense of biodiversity, because stabilising the climate is only possible over the long-term by ensuring the health and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. This is why the scope of the four regional and the global IPBES assessments – all currently underway – include the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate change.”
Addressing IPBES delegates, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Climate secretariat, Richard Kinley, remarked: “The policy frameworks for action on climate change and biodiversity are largely in place. Now, the overarching priority is accelerated implementation. The interrelation between climate change, biodiversity and human well-being is clear and compelling. Together we can generate extraordinary outcomes towards the safe and sustainable future envisioned in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
In his message to the plenary session, Ashok Sridharan, the Mayor of Bonn and First Vice President of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, said: “The United Nations is shaping a sustainable future in Bonn. When major challenges like climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss are tackled in a holistic way in just one place, this helps solving conflicting issues and creates synergies. It is a Bonn specialty to pull these strands together. We are doing precisely that with IPBES and will surely continue to do so in November, when Bonn will welcome the 23th Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention as well.”
The 5th session of the IPBES Plenary will end on Friday, March 10 2017. Attended by more than 600 government, expert and development delegates, it is providing guidance relating to the IPBES work programme, tackling subjects ranging from approaches to indigenous and local knowledge, to potential new IPBES assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services and the next IPBES work programme for 2019 and beyond.
A new professional training programme on the transparency of climate action and support has been launched.
ong-gun Kim, President of Greenhouse Gas Inventory & Research Centre of Korea (GIR) (left) and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The new professional training programme focuses on the transparency of climate action
The programme was launched in Bonn, Germany on Thursday, March 9 2017during a meeting between Yong-gun Kim, President of Greenhouse Gas Inventory & Research Centre of Korea (GIR) and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The programme seeks to provide professional training on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories to national experts from developing countries. GHG inventories are a key source of information necessary to understand where each country and the global community at large stand in terms of GHG emissions. The initiative will significantly boost the technical capacity of developing countries.
“This partnership is yet another tangible sign that the world is moving forward on the Paris Agreement,” said Ms. Espinosa. “Additionally, the initiative provides a concrete model and platform for South-South cooperation by creating a forum for developing countries to share knowledge and support.”
Policy makers, implementers, and technicians are invited to apply to this training, and can expect to walk away with the theoretical and practical methods needed to take transformative action.
The partnership itself is a part of a broader training programme, called UNFCCC-CASTT, which is being promoted and championed by the UNFCCC secretariat in Bonn. This comprehensive programme looks to facilitate effective and universal participation of countries in the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) arrangements under the UNFCCC and the transparency framework under the Paris Agreement.
“The GHG training programme was initiated by the GIR in 2011. I hope it will be further developed and expanded through this significant partnership with the UNFCCC secretariat,” said Dr. Yong-gun Kim. “We will actively cooperate with each other to nurture greenhouse gas experts in developing countries for successful implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
GIR will open the training programme enrollment on 27 March, with sessions to commence 26 June.
The Environmental Rights Agenda/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has raised the alarm on the presence of substances suspected to be toxic waste in Koko community in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State.
Head of Media and Campaigns at ERA/FoEN, Philip Jakpor (left), and the Executive Director, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, at the press briefing in Lagos
The executive director, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, March 8 2017, asked the Delta State Government and the National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to immediately set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the development.
The company linked to the dumping of the toxic waste in Koko for over three months now is known as Ebenco Global Link Limited, according to Ojo.
“This is not the first time this is happening. To refresh our memory, persistence ecological onslaught on the people of the Niger Delta being perpetrated by corporations and their Nigerian collaborators continues unabated leading to massive pollution of water bodies and soil contamination,” he said.
He recalled that, in 1988, Italian businessmen, Gianfranco Raffaeli and Renato Pent, of Waste Broker firms, Ecomar and Jelly Wax respectively, signed an illegal agreement with an unsuspecting Nigerian businessman, Sunday Nana, to use his property for the storage of 18,000 drums of hazardous waste for approximately $100 a month.
Italy is believed to produce between 40 and 50 million tonnes of industrial waste and 16 million tonnes of household wastes each year, most of which are exported to developing countries like Nigeria for disposal, ERA noted.
Nana, Dr. Ojo continued, was made to believe that the wastes were residual and allied chemicals relating to the building industry. “By the time the truth came out, it was discovered that the contents included ‘toxic and radioactive’ substances, including asbestos fibre and dioxin.”
Mr. Nana was said to have died while looking after the substances.
The issue, EnviroNews gathered, is being discussed in hushed tones, suggesting conflicts and division in the community as to how to handle the issue.
To address the issue, ERA/FoEN wants NESREA to live up to its responsibility of protecting the environment and enforce compliance with all environmental laws, both in Nigeria as well as international agreements, protocols and treaties on the environment to which Nigeria is signatory.
“Delta State Ministry of Environment and the Federal Ministry of Environment should also step into the situation and collaborate for a proper commission of inquiry to unravel the persistence of toxic waste dumping in Koko.
“Ebenco Global Link should be compelled to clean up its mess in Koko and evacuate its hazardous wastes, including those allegedly surreptitiously buried in large quantities,” ERA/FoEN demanded.
ERA also wants Ebenco to pay specified penalties and fines as well as compensation, to be imposed by NESREA and the Federal Government, to victims/community people whose lands have been contaminated.
Asserting that Koko has become a symbol of poverty and exploitation in Niger Delta and the people have become prey to the “compensation syndrome”, ERA tasked government to protect Koko.
Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) is considering purchasing wood from these plantations as a fiber source for its controversial new mill PT. OKI Pulp and Paper mill, despite the ongoing conflicts. The OKI Pulp and Paper mill is one of the world’s largest and has been criticised over concerns that its high demand for wood fiber will drive new land conflicts, breaking APP’s social and environmental commitments.
The report shows that Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is currently considering PT. Bangun Rimba Sejahtera (BRS) as a fiber supplier for its OKI mill, despite BRS being rejected by a majority of the communities living within and adjacent to the BRS plantation concession.
“One hundred thousand people could be negatively affected by these plantations,” said Ratno Budi of Walhi Banka Belitung. “A majority of these communities have declared their objection to the plantation and to the presence of BRS on their community lands.”
Communities have organised demonstrations and written letters and petitions to government officials opposing the BRS plantation, as their customary lands, which will be affected, are the primary source of livelihood for most community members. The report shows that communities were not adequately consulted about the project and did not give their consent to the plantation. It also documents how BRS has included police and army in public meetings, with an intimidating effect on local residents.
“APP has made a commitment that any new concessions or fiber used to supply the OKI mill will respect the rights of affected communities to give or withhold their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC),” said Aidil Fitri, director of HaKi. “If APP brings BRS on as a supplier it would clearly be breaking its own sustainability policies and its promise to respect human rights.”
“There is a lot of concern that the OKI mill will drive more social conflict, peatland drainage and deforestation,” said Lafcadio Cortesi of Rainforest Action Network. “This is a test case for APP. Pulp and paper customers and investors will be watching whether APP will be true to its word and avoid suppliers like BRS.”
