Resolution of two critical issues that have caused a deep divide at the National Conference formed a part of the plenary session of the Conference on Wednesday, a day partially devoted to debate on the modalities for the implementation of the Conference report.
One of the issues which were handled by a special committee comprising leaders of geo-political zones and other selected delegates was the Land Use Act and the contentious argument as to whether or not it should be removed from the constitution. The other critical issue which had split the Conference into two regional blocs was the Derivation Principle. It bordered on whether the existing 13% allowed by the Constitution should be retained, reduced or increased.
On the Land Use Act, the argument for its retention in the 1999 Constitution was based on the belief that allowing the Act to go would give chance for oligarchs to take over lands which the Land Use Act has democratised with the government as the intervening body.
Supporters of this school of thought also said that since land is not a renewable commodity, it must not be left at the mercy of land speculators; and that removing it from the constitution would be discriminatory and unjust to the poor. It was their position that removing the Act from the constitution would create dichotomy; describing the suggestion as a grand design for the rich to buy land at cheap prices, a situation they said would lead to crisis that cannot be managed.
On the other side, the argument was that the Land Use Act should remain a law but must be removed from the constitution to make it easy for amendment. They argued that, at present, amending the Act through the constitution has become too cumbersome and that, in other countries, land tenure is universal while governments nearest to the communities serve land tenure better. They complained that governments have taken peoples land and have refused to pay compensation; and that since the promulgation of the Act, access to land has remained a major problem, thus hindering economic development.
It was also stated that the power of compulsory acquisition vested on state governors has been, in most cases, used arbitrarily without the payment of adequate compensation to land owners. The committee noted that both sides of the argument were convincing; unfortunately none of them agreed with the other and no side agreed to back down.
Thus, in its decision which was accepted by the Conference, it was stated that the Act would be retained in the constitution while certain amendments would be carried out in certain sections of the Act. For instance, one of such amendment would enable land owners to determine the price and value of their land. It allows government to negotiate with land owners and not compensate them.
It was also resolved that the customary right of occupancy in Section 21 of the Act be amended to read “Customary Right of Occupancy should have the same status as statutory Right of Occupancy, and should also be extended to urban land”. It was also agreed that Section 7 of the Act which deals with the restriction on rights of persons under the age of 21 to be granted statutory right of occupancy should be amended to read “restriction of persons under the age of 18”. This, it was argued, is because the Child Rights Act stipulates that a person attains adulthood at the age of 18. With the decision on the issue of the Land Use Act, the report of the Committee on Land Tenure Matters and National Boundary was formally adopted, as amended.
GSK and Save the Children have announced the launch of their second annual $1 million Healthcare Innovation Award at the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health meeting in South Africa. The award was established to identify and reward innovations in healthcare that have proven successful in reducing child deaths in developing countries.
From the 27 June to 25 August, organisations from across the developing world can nominate examples of innovative healthcare approaches they have discovered or implemented. These approaches must have resulted in tangible improvements to under-five child survival rates, be sustainable and have the potential to be scaled-up and replicated. This year, special interest and attention will be given to work that aims to increase the quality of, or access to, healthcare for newborns.
Last year the top prize was awarded to Friends of Sick Children (FOSC), Malawi, for their ‘bubble’ Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) kit, which demonstrates the impact of simple, low-cost innovations. The ‘bubble’ helps babies that are in respiratory distress, often caused by acute infections like pneumonia, by keeping their lungs inflated so they can breathe more easily. A similar version is already commonly used in developed countries where they cost at least $6,000 each. This innovative low-cost ‘bubble’ CPAP adaptation can be produced for approximately $400.
FOSC was granted an award of $400,000, which along with backing from the Ministry of Health in Malawi, will enable them and their partners to share this life-saving technology with teaching hospitals in Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.
Sir Andrew
Co-chaired by Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, and Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children, a judging panel, made up of experts from the fields of public health, science and academia, will award part of the overall funds to the best healthcare innovation to support further progress. The remaining funds will be made available for runners-up awards as directed by the judging panel.
The award also aims to provide a platform for winning organisations to showcase their innovations and share information with others interested in improving healthcare for children in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Sir Andrew said: “We are committed to working in partnership with other organisations and our work with Save the Children is a great example of how we can use our scientific expertise and reach to help improve health outcomes for people around the world. As a direct result of this award last year’s winners have already had a tremendous impact and we want to continue to support them as they develop innovations that can be scaled-up and replicated to help reduce child deaths in the world’s poorest countries.”
Forsyth
Forsyth said: “We know that in order to bring life-saving healthcare to the hardest to reach children, ambitious new ideas and approaches are needed. Last year’s Healthcare Innovation Award found new innovations that are saving children’s lives and can be replicated to help reach even more children. This year, we look forward to discovering more pioneering solutions that will make a bigger impact for the world’s most vulnerable children.”
While good progress has been made in recent years, every year 6.2 million children worldwide still die before their fifth birthday. Often these children are in the most remote and marginalised communities. The GSK and Save the Children Healthcare Innovation Award aims to discover and encourage replication of the best and most innovative examples of healthcare to have the biggest impact for vulnerable children.
The Healthcare Innovation Award was announced following the launch of GSK and Save the Children’s ambitious new partnership in May 2013, which aims to save the lives of 1 million children in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. One of the most unique aspects of the partnership is the focus on working together to maximise innovations to tackle under-five child mortality. For example, Save the Children is involved in helping GSK to research and develop child-friendly medicines, with a seat on a new paediatric R&D board to accelerate progress on innovative life-saving interventions for under-fives, and to identify ways to ensure the widest possible access in the developing world.
Recognising that innovation can take many shapes and forms, the criteria for the Healthcare Innovation Award are broad and can include approaches that focus on any aspect of healthcare, including science, nutrition, research, education or partnership working.
Ways to adapt to the negative impact of climate change took a new dimension this week as stakeholders initiated moves to tackle an apparent limitation of data in the sector.
Just like other African nations, Nigeria lacks elaborate, comprehensive and real time climate figures that will enable her make appropriate decisions, predictions and preparations towards the looming negative impacts of climate change.
Director, Deprtment of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Samuel Adejuwon (left), with Prof Jerome Omotosho, West Africa Science Service Centre and Adaptive Land-use (WASCAL) Centre in the Federal University of Technology (FUT) in Akure, Ondo State, in Omotosho’s office at the WASCAL Centre, on Wednesday
But a collaboration involving the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) has stepped up moves to make a change, courtesy of a capacity building programme aimed at the establishment and use of e-infrastructure for climate change data and information management in the country.
Holding at West Africa Science Service Centre and Adaptive Land-use (WASCAL) Centre in the Federal University of Technology (FUT) in Akure, Ondo State, the event commenced on Monday and will be rounded up on Friday.
Besides hosting a state-of-the-art High Performance Computing (HPC), the Centre also operates the Graduate Research Programme on the West African Climate System (GRP-WACS). Likewise, the HPC is installed in the Department of Climate Change, a UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) National Focal Point.
In collaboration with UNDP, the Department a couple of years ago initiated a process of establishing Climate Change Data Management System under the Japanese government-sponsored African Adaptation Programme (AAP).
According to Environment Minister, Laurentia L. Mallam, the training is aimed at not only setting up the climate data server but also to enhance capacity of the Designated Government focal point as well as other climate change experts in climate change information management for decision-making process towards policy formulation and implementation.
She added that the training workshop therefore is expected to ensure that the entire High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure are installed and the staff of the Department of Climate Change together with those at the FUT Akure nodal centre trained on data server administration and use of the infrastructure for climate change and related studies.
Mallam, represented by Dr Samuel Adejuwon, Director of the Climate Change Department in the ministry, emphasised that the training is in appreciation of the fact that evidences related to climate change deal mainly with spatial and non-spatial data which are more easily captured using geo-informatics and which has made it a lot easier to utilise such data for policy formulation.
“Geo-informatics for climate change studies is the art of using infrastructures including mainly satellite, servers, computers and other hardware and software applications and technology for investigating, monitoring, documenting, and understanding the impacts of climate change especially for a more informed decision taking,” Adejuwon stated.
He added: “The increasing ability to understand complex, system-oriented phenomena such as climate change is strictly correlated with the need for increasing data and computing resources. The e-infrastructures represent an innovative and unique approach to address this problem. They demonstrated to be an efficient way to share and access resources of different types which can effectively enhance the potential of scientific research and productivity.”
He lauded the UNDP for making the workshop a reality, even as he poured encomiums on the FUTA Vice Chancellor, Prof Adebiyi Daramola, and the Director of WASCAL Centre, Prof Jerome Omotosho, for hosting the German-funded international centre and making it a “Centre of Excellence.”
Also congratulating Profs Daramola and Omotosho, a representative of the UNDP at the event described WASCAL as a large-scale research-focused programme designed to help tackle climate challenge and thereby enhance the resilience of human and environmental systems to climate change and increased variability.
“It does so by strengthening the research infrastructure and capacity in West Africa related to climate change and by pooling the expertise of 10 West African countries and Germany,” he stated, adding:
“Climate change is an issue that concerns everyone on the surface of the planet – we share one atmosphere, and we truly hold a shared responsibility for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, and supporting efforts to help vulnerable communities adapt to, and build resilience to, the effects of climate change.
“There is a need for us at this time to take steps in tackling this problem before it gets out of hand. We need to be able to take decisions, and to make plans if we are to leave something for the next generation.”
Omotosho noted that the research and training at the centre could be harnessed for national development in agriculture, climate change, rainfall disparities and in many other areas. He stated that the programme also impacts on villages in the hinterland.
However, the director stressed that the support of the German donors of the centre is time-bound and added that it is critical for the Federal Government and other interested stakeholders to show interest in the funding of the activities of the programme in the post-German era. He said the donors have requested the governments of the 10 benefitting West African countries to start making a progressive contribution of 10 per cent so that, in the event of withdrawal, the centre can be sustained.
But he lamented that government had not delivered on that contribution. The director stressed that, as an essentially manpower trainer, the importance of the centre to the development of the country could not be over-emphasised. He appealed to the government not to allow the centre die in the event that the funders withdraw eventually.
He commended the UNDP for the donation of the e-infrastructure which he said would significantly boost research and scholarship at the centre.
Climate Change Consultant to the UNDP, Dr. Joseph Intsiful, who was the lead trainer, underlined the importance of data towards mitigating climate change impact on developing countries, saying it is necessary to engage every stakeholder in order to achieve result in containing the effects of climate change.
Intsiful stressed that since the phenomenon is a global problem, to resolve its effects, there is the need to seek global perspectives, hence the training. He noted that he was impressed with the participants’ appreciation of the e-infrastructure, which they would use to stave off likely disaster areas.
He admitted that finance remains a critical issue in sustainability. Nonetheless, he advised that the idea of a centre like WASCAL should be extended to other universities in the country. He added that the ministry and UNDP should synergise to continue the training in other institutions, especially as it relates to the e-infrastructure.
Some of the trainees said they have learnt new skills which would help them in their work. Dean of School of Sciences, FUTA, Prof. Ibiyinka Fuwape, said the e-infrastructure would be beneficial to both students and researchers alike. She added that the software given to them could be deployed to various research areas for the benefit of Nigerians.
Also speaking, the duo of Bello Sani Yankuzo and Chukwuemeka Okebugwu, both staff of the environment ministry, hailed the exercise which they said would greatly advance their work. Yankuzo added that the new skills gained would help them in many areas of their work.
Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), the Nigerian unit of ExxonMobil, has recorded yet another oil spill in its operation in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The spill occurred Sunday 29th June, 2014 which the community estimates it at over 15,000 barrels discharged to the Atlantic coastline.
The spill, according to community source, was first noticed by fishermen who went for fishing that night. Peace Point Action, a member organisation of National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil spills in the Niger Delta (NACGOND), reports from the scene that the spill is traced to Exxon Mobil equipment failure behind the QIT Terminal, which impacted negatively on the coastline, creating untold hardship to the community members who depend solely on the sea for their sustenance.
Koko-Mime, a fish seller who also serves as Women Leader, Inua Eyen Ikot, said, “The spill has broken down our business as customers do not even care to come for fish this morning as they used to buy every day since they know that the spill killed all the fishes in the sea, the fishermen will not bring fish for us to dry and sell. Feeding our children is now a problem.”
“Fishermen reported to us this morning at about 4 am that they discovered large quantity of oil floating all over the sea as they were fishing and their nets pinched by the tick volume of oil,” said Inyang Atabop,Vice Chairman, Ibeno President Forum, who also serve as youth President, Esuk Ikim Ekeme Community.
According to him, there are pending oil spill compensations yet to be paid to the community by Exxon Mobil, lamenting that now another one has occurred. “Who will fight for us as Mobil now came up with new English called ‘Palliative’ which the community youths do not know the meaning?” he demanded.
He called on relevant bodies like National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Federal Ministry of Environment and the State Ministry of Environment to come to their aid by compelling Exxon Mobil to pay compensation to the community members as compensation usually follows whenever oil spills occurs. He said that, as youth leaders, it’s their responsibility to ensure orderliness within the community especially at this critical period but Mobil should not use this as an opportunity to work against them.
Another youth in the community who simply gave her name as Glory said, “God will not allow Mobil to force our youths into militancy before they listen to us.” She decried the frequent oil spills occurrences in the community.
One John David, who attended Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) training organised by NACGOND, said, “In all the reported oil spills in Ibeno and other oil producing LGAs in the state, Mobil never carried out a JIV, all what they do is to employ community youths and pay them N5,000 each to clean up the mess.” He traced the source of the spill to a damaged Exxon Mobil tank just behind the firm’s office at QIT. According to him, some law enforcement officers visited the community this morning (29th June, 2014) and “pleaded to us to remain calm.”
John also said the youths earlier contacted Paul Orinze, Exxon Mobil Manager, via mobile phone who acknowledged the situation and also promised that Mobil would forward acceptance letter to the Local Government Chairman soonest.
Godwin Ikot, Youth Leader of Okom Ita Community, told Peace Point Action reporter: “Our fishermen are left with no other alternative as they cannot fish under this condition.”
“Let Mobil tell us what to do now that we don’t have what to feed on, our land is polluted, all the fishes killed,” Mrs. Eka said.
However, there were large deposits of crude oil found on the sea surface and shoreline as well as dead fishes killed as a result of the spill.
Eno-Obong Enyine, a fisherman, said, “The fishes I came back with were all dead as the oil soaked my fishing net, and I had no fish to go home with.” He complained that Mobil uses helicopter to spray a chemical that easily mixes the spilled oil with water which, according to him, is harmful to human being. He pleaded with government to bring relief materials to the affected community members.
The situation took a new dimension on Monday, 30th July, 2014 as the community youths took to the street on a peaceful demonstration, demanding compensation from Mobil. All roads leading to Mobil facilities at QIT were blocked between 8am and 5pm when the angry youths dispersed to watch the Nigeria vs France World Cup match. They promised to reconvene the next day until they achieve their demand.
Peace Point Action urges Mobil to commence immediate environmental cleanup in affected communities and also pay full compensation to the community members in all the spills recorded within the area so far. Additionally, the group asked NOSDRA and the State Ministry of Environment to ensure that Mobil complies with oil spill regulations and safety standards in its operations in the state.
Eleven government-owned hospitals in different parts of the country have benefitted from medical equipment donated for treatment of sickle cell disorder by the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation.
President of the Foundation and former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, made the donation during the 2nd World Sickle Cell Day held recently in Lagos.
Obasanjo
Obasanjo said Nigeria, with a high prevalence rate of 24%, which accounts for 40 million Nigerians, an urgent health intervention was needed to enable poor families with sickle cell children access treatment.
According to him, in developed countries, people with sickle cell disorder live normal lives because they have access to the right treatment and this results in increased life expectancy of sickle cell patients.
Obasanjo pointed out that the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation was focused on five key areas need for human security which are Health, Girl-Child Initiative, Agriculture, Leadership, and Youth Employment & Empowerment Initiative. He added that non-communicable disease which sickle cell is one of them is the next phase of health burden that requires global attention.
Chairman of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, Professor Olu Akinyanju, highlighted that over 150,000 children are born every year with sickle cell disorder in the country and that this is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. He expressed optimism that access to affordable treatment would reduce crisis experienced by children in the early phase of their lives.
Akinyanju said stem plant transplant that helps in changing the genotype of sickle cell patients with SS costs N5 million and this he described as expensive for the poor to afford.
He said, “Sickle cell disorder is a multi-system disorder that affects other organs in the body. There is occurrence of stroke in patients with sickle cell anaemic with a high reoccurrence rate of 10% in children within the ages of 2-16. This stroke can lead to partial or complete paralysis of the limbs, difficulty in speaking and decreased brain function, amongst others.
Adebisi
A sickle cell carrier and a UK-based Nigeria who plays professional rugby in the UK, Ade Adebisi, urged parents to be the building block of support for their children with sickle cell disorder because, according to him, most times people give up on their children when diagnosed with the disorder.
“In the UK, I was able to access the right treatment and there was no stigmatisation. This built my resilience to survive over the years and I never gave up on my dream to play professional rugby. Also eating the right diet helps a sickle cell patient live well and enjoy a normal life,” he said.
Vice-Chairman of the Foundation in the UK and a Nigerian, Mrs Anne Welsh, who is also a sickle cell patient, said most people living with sickle cell shy away and are afraid to socialise due to the level of stigmatisation in the society.
“Nigeria, with a large population of about 200 million people, needs to be in the forefront for treatment for sickle cell patients. I believe with the needed support in the health sector, medical practitioners in the country are in a better position to offer treatment because they understand the plight of people with the sickle cell disorder more than practitioners in the West, where sickle cell disorder is a rare occurrence,” she stated.
A group of 11 award-winning experts working across Africa has appealed to governments of the African Union to develop ecological organic agriculture on the continent. The laureates of the Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”, who met recently in Cairo in Egypt, signed a joint appeal calling on the African Union Commission and its NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), to implement their roadmap for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Africa.
With regard to the latest findings of the 2014 IPCC report and to the “grave consequences for food security in Africa,” they also called on governments to implement the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security and invest 10 per cent of national budgets into ecological organic agriculture, including research and development, job creation and rural development. The UN has declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming.
“We are worried that international corporations are working with the government to cultivate large areas of land for agribusiness. The threat is already at our door”, said Nomewende Joël Ouedraogo of the Fédération Naam in Burkina Faso.
Signatories to the appeal are recipients of the Right Livelihood Award working across Africa: renowned Nigerian environmentalist, Nnimmo Bassey; President of the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, Jacqueline Moudeina; representative of the First People of the Kalahari, Jumanda Gakelebone; Executive Director of Federation Naam in Burkina Faso, Joel Ouedraogo; Dr Ibrahim Abouleish, founder of the biodynamic farm SEKEM in Egypt; Helmy Abouleish, SEKEM’s Managing Director; Hans R. Herren, agronomist and entomologist from Switzerland; Matron Sr. Tenadam Bekele Wolde, representative of Dr. Catherine Hamlin’s Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia; MOSOP President Legborsi Pyagbara from Nigeria; Guillaume Harushimana from Centre Jeunes Kamenge in Burundi; and environmental activist, René Ngongo from the DRC.
Conservationists have underlined the need to take practical action aimed at curbing sea level rise and save the environment.
At a recent gathering (the 2014 Fauna and Flora Fancy Dress Competitions) in Lagos to observe the World Environment Day, they underscored the importance of joining the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and other groups’ effort on climate change enlightenment campaign aimed at sensitising Nigerians, particularly women and children, who are the most vulnerable groups to climate change and its attendant impact.
Pupils displaying during the Flora and Fauna celebration.
The WED 2014 has “Raise your voice, not the sea level” as its theme, which aimed at encouraging global awareness and action for the environment and curbing attitudes that will increase the sea level.
A conservationists, Desmond Majekodunmi, said that the low-lying nature of much of the coastal parts of Nigeria due to its natural geological setting constitutes a natural threat to the environment. Generally, rising to less than five metres above sea level, these coastal regions are prone to flooding even with minimal rise in sea level.
“Nigeria lies in the middle latitudes in the Gulf of Guinea. It is therefore characterised by generally high and strong wave systems which have more destructive impacts on the shoreline and constantly causing shoreline erosion. So, we must not add to the problem through our action hence, the need to create awareness on danger of rising sea level.”
Executive Director of the NCF, Alade Adeleke, stressed the need to develop strategic plans which emphasise the importance, not only of recognising children as key stakeholders in the policy-making process, but also of promoting environmental education for sustainable development as a means of enabling future leaders to find innovative solutions to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change and environmental degradation in their communities.
L-R: Acting Executive Director, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Alade Adeleke; NCF Council Members, Desmond Majekodunmi; and Chairman of NCF’s Scientific Committee, Prince Adegoke Ademiluyi, at the Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos.
Adeleke added that, in the light of the serious challenges of rising sea level being faced by coastal cities, it is obvious that man needs to begin to evaluate his lifestyle, become more conscious of the impact of the waste being disposed, rethink his options and stop contributing to the rise in sea level.
In their presentations with different costumes to depict the theme, the children urged urged their audience to save the earth by engaging in acts that do not have negative impact the environment.
The participating students in different age categories competed in fauna and flora dress competitions to create awareness on reducing the sea level. The presentations were centered on the need to take corrective measures right from homes through proper waste disposal and clearing of drainages.
Chairman of NCF’s scientific committee, Prince Adegoke Ademiluyi, said. “I am particularly delighted with the impact this effort has been creating over the years, part of which is the replication of the idea by most environmental NGOs in Nigeria.”
He enjoined Nigerians especially the youth to help spread the gospel of conservation by joining the school conservation programme established by NCF.
While seeking further support of the corporate world on funding environmental initiatives, he added that the progress made thus far by the Foundation has been through the contributions of corporate organisations, groups and individuals. “Over the years we have worked with governments and its agencies to formulate policies which ensured that degradation and other issues that are inimical to the environment are addressed. Yes, the challenges are multifarious and we realise that we cannot do it alone. It is for this reason that I urge everyone who reaps benefits from Nigerian natural resources to join hands with us to conserve them.”
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and a coalition of non-governmental organisations on the platform of the Europe-Third World Centre (CETIM) and Friends of the Earth International want the United Nations Human Rights Council to initiate uniform binding mechanism that will involve preventive measures covering environmental and human rights abuses to compel Shell and other transnational oil companies to take responsibility for their human rights violations.
In a catalogue of violations with Shell’s footprints in the Niger Delta, the group drew the attention of the Council to the limitation of international and local advocacies as well as national regulatory agencies to compel Shell to respect human rights in the Niger delta.
The petition, submitted by ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Uyi Ojo, at the 26thsession of the Council, reads: “Shell refuses to respect the regulatory agencies, national governments and the laws of the land, making it look as if the regulated have become the regulator. This level of impunity demonstrates the dire need for an international mechanism to hold companies to account uniformly rather than allowing for voluntary company mechanisms that are subject to manipulation and are not legally binding.
“A global treaty to hold corporations accountable will bring to an end environmental racism being perpetrated by Shell in adherence to international standards in Europe while lowering standards in Nigeria and in less developed countries. Since the political and economic power of corporations challenge national governments as is the case in Nigeria, legally binding global instrument is necessary to check undue corporate influence.”
The groups challenged the status quo which it described as “ineffective manipulative compensation regime”, insisting that prior and informed consent must be a condition to negotiate with the communities.
Issues addressed in the petition include oil pollution, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, Shell’s Bonga Spill and gas flaring.
Oil Pollution
On widespread oil pollution in the Niger Delta the groups said that once fertile wetlands have been transformed by the constant leaks into the world’s largest oil disaster even as they noted that between 2004 and 2007, spills from Shell facilities destroyed fish ponds and farmlands in the Bodo and Goi communities in Rivers State. In 2004, a major oil spill from the Trans-Niger pipeline which runs through Ogoniland to the Bonny Export Terminal destroyed livelihoods including fish-ponds, a poultry coop and a bakery belonging to Chief Barizaa Dooh, one of the plaintiffs in the case. Dooh’s community has been rendered completely uninhabitable. In 2005, the Oruma community in Bayelsa State also suffered a similar fate from Shell’s facility, which destroyed fish-ponds, farms and trees, losing their sources of livelihood. In the 2007 Ikot Ada oil spill case, the community suffered from pollution of their farmlands, ponds and community lands.
In response, ERA/FoEN and its sister organisation, the Netherlands-based Milieudefensie, took Shell to court in The Hague to seek environmental clean-up and compensation for the victims’ loss of livelihood, including destruction of farmlands and fish-ponds in the Goi, Oruma and Ikot Ada Udo communities.
UNEP Report
The groups also made reference to the assessment of Ogoniland prepared by UNEP and released on 4 August 2011, which showed hydrocarbon pollution in surface water throughout the creeks of Ogoniland up to 8 cm and in groundwater that feeds drinking wells at 41 sites, including a serious case at Nisisioken Ogale in Eleme, Rivers State. Soils were found to have been polluted with hydrocarbons up to a depth of five metres in 49 observed sites, while benzene, a known carcinogen, was found in drinking water at a level 900 times above World Health Organisation (WHO) acceptable levels.
Shell’s Bonga Spill
The Shell Bonga oil spill which occurred on 20 December 2011, during which 40,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Atlantic Ocean, was also cited. The communities alleged that harmful chemical dispersants such as Slickgone NS, Corexit 9500 and 9527 and Biosolve, among others, which Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited used to breakdown and disperse the spilled crude at Bonga field, in turn spread to the fishing areas, where they became the causes of the diseases afterward prevalent in the communities.
Common ailments affecting the communities included mental disorders; hypertension; eye irritations; nose, throat and skin lesions; vomiting and rectal bleeding; liver and kidney damage; short-term memory loss and confusion; respiratory problems; miscarriages; blood in urine.
Following this Bonga oil spill, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) imposed a $5 billion fine on Shell. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director General, Patrick Akpobolokemi, had earlier said at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment that the maritime agency calculated a total of $6.5 billion as compensation to be paid to the communities.
ERA/FoEN and Milieudefensie took Shell to court in The Hague, to seek environmental clean-up and compensation for the victims’ loss of livelihood, including destruction of farmlands and fish-ponds in the Goi, Oruma and Ikot Ada Udo communities.
Gas Flaring
In the petition, the groups also observed that gas flaring has continued unabated in the Niger Delta with Shell keeping almost 100 gas flares burning, day and night. They also pointed out that several studies pointing to the devastating effects of gas flaring on people and the environment were cited including a 2011 report which showed that gas flaring has had known effects on the Ogoni people and their environment such as noise pollution, itching and skin rashes, the discomfort generated by the light from the flare sites, black dust and soot that settle in people’s homes and on food and clothes thereby undermining the quality of life and the right of the people to live in a healthy environment in which to fulfill their potential.
Some of the very prominent impacts of gas flaring are acid rain, which acidifies the lakes and streams and damages crops and vegetation, and corrosion of roofs. It is also a known carcinogen which affects human health, including causing miscarriages and congenital malformations, increasing the frequency of respiratory illnesses and cancer, amongst other ailments that have sent hundreds to their early graves. Its sulphur leads to low farm yields, affecting the farming livelihood of the people.
To the issues identified, ERA/FoEN and CETIM demanded a binding mechanism be made uniformly applicable on a global scale, adding that the treaty should involve preventive measures covering environmental and human rights violations rather than the current ineffective manipulative compensation regime.
President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria has been asked to take urgent action to end the large scale environmental pollution in Ogoniland, a group of oil-producing communities that cuts across Kana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme local government areas (LGAs) in River State.
Goodluck Jonathan, President of Nigeria
Africa and Middle East Laureates of the Right Livelihood Foundation, who met recently in Cairo, Egypt, voiced their concerns about the ongoing land and sea degradation in Ogoniland and urged the Nigerian President to take action on the Ogoni UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) report, three years after it was submitted.
The 2011 report has shown, for instance, that “in at least 10 Ogoni communities where drinking water is contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbons, public health is seriously threatened”.
The Laureates urged Jonathan to take action on the “full implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP report” taking into consideration “effective participation of the Ogoni people in all stages relating to the restoration of their environment”.
Similarly, the Laureates called on the Congolese government to stop permitting oil exploration in the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site and home to around a quarter of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas.
Laureates sharing experiences during the regional conference
Though they endorsed the recent decision by British oil company, Soco International, to end its exploration work in the Park, they however feared that Soco’s withdrawal is not a total victory, describing the withdrawal as ambiguous, in the light of the fact that the company said it would complete its seismic survey in Lake Edward.
According to the Laureates, exploration licenses cover 80 per cent of the park and other companies may seek to develop resources in the Virunga. They called on the Congolese government to cancel Soco’s permit, to respect national laws and regulations outlawing oil exploration and extraction in protected areas, and to remove armed groups inside the park.
They also called on Soco to unambiguously give up its permit to explore within the park boundaries and to honour its commitment to respect all areas designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
While demanding a paradigm shift in agriculture and management of natural resources, the 11 Laureates at the four-day conference, declared: “In our diverse struggles toward improving access to health care, ending impunity, and achieving food security and sustainable development, we recognise an overarching crisis afflicting the region. Corporate capture of governance in Africa is becoming increasingly prevalent in the areas of agriculture and the extractive industries, namely mining, oil, and gas.”
They also called upon African governments to “make investments into infrastructure, health and education, especially in rural communities.”
“The Laureates appealed to the heads of states and governments of the African Union to “develop and implement the roadmap for the needed transition towards Ecological Organic Agriculture as promised by the African Heads of States and Governments in the Decision on Organic Farming”.
Additionally, they requested that “national governments implement the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security that was declared in 2000, and redirect ten percent of national budget allocation to Ecological Organic Agriculture”.
The forum brought the Laureates together to share their experiences and struggles in their different areas of work: from human rights to environmental protection, women’s health, ecologically and socially sound agriculture, as well as justice and community healing after violent conflict. The event was the second in a series of regional meetings of Right Livelihood Laureates.
Bassey
Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, was one of the 11 Laureates at the conference. Bassey (RLA Laureate 2010) and late environmental rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa (RLA Laureate 1994), are awardees of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.
The late Ken Saro-Wiwa
While Saro-Wiwa was decorated “for striving non-violently for civil, economic and environmental rights of his people,” Bassey was honored “for revealing the full ecological and human horrors of oil production and for his inspired work to strengthen the environmental movement in Nigeria and globally”.
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the weekend in Montreal, Canada wrapped up a weeklong meeting on implementation with recommendations on, among others, resource mobilisation, technical and scientific cooperation, poverty eradication and sustainable development, enhancements to the structures and processes under the CBD and engagement with business, local governments and other stakeholders.
de Souza Dia
The recommendations agreed at the fifth meeting of the Ad Hoc open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI5) will be taken up by the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-12), scheduled for the first two weeks of October 2014 in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea. Key recommendations from the Montreal meeting may be included in the package of decisions emerging from COP-12 – the so-called “PyeongChang Road Map” – to enhance implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, adopted by governments in 2010 at Nagoya, Japan.
“Parties worked hard this week to prepare for our work at COP-12, and have made progress in a number of areas that are key to enhanced implementation of the Convention,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, executive secretary for the Convention on Biological Diversity. “I believe we made progress towards the targets for resource mobilisation, with language now available that will be a good basis for further negotiations at COP.”
He added: “I am also pleased to see that Parties agreed on the urgency and importance of effectively including biodiversity in the proposed sustainable development goals currently under discussion at the United Nations General Assembly. Biodiversity for Sustainable Development is the theme of COP-12, and discussions to be held at the high level segment will contribute to the global agenda for sustainable development.”
The working group agreed to recommendations that brought together capacity development, technical and scientific cooperation, and better use of the Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM), in ways that enhance effectiveness and usefulness and to enhance synergies in support of implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
Increasing the efficiency of structures and processes under the Convention and its Protocols was also an important agenda item. Parties recommended a consolidation of proceedings for subsequent meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD and meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to current and future protocols to the Convention. Further, the possibility of creating a subsidiary body on implementation, which would replace the WGRI, was also recommended.
The Working Group contributed to the integration of biodiversity in sustainable development and poverty eradication programs by recommending very clear and strong decisions to be considered by COP-12 for adoption. The Chennai Guidance will be a good tool for both biodiversity and development communities to work together to contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, in particular Aichi Biodiversity Targets 2 and 14.
Engagement with a variety of other actors was also discussed, with recommendations relating to business, international organizations, subnational and local governments, and the gender mainstreaming plan of the CBD, suggesting ways to enhance the contribution of these to implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, agreed for transmission to COP-12.
The WGRI5 is followed by the 18th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-18), which begins on Monday, June 23, 2014. Among others, SBSTTA-18 will present a draft of Global Biodiversity Outlook 4, which will provide a review of the status and trends of biodiversity, as well as a review of the state of implementation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The CBD, which opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and entered into force in December 1993, is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.
The 194-Party Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a subsidiary agreement to the Convention. It seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. To date, 166 countries plus the European Union have ratified the Cartagena Protocol.
