…. Wants Chevron To Pay Compensation To Victims
BEVERLY HILLS, CA, July 08, (THEWILL) –Â The Senate on Tuesday bemoaned the recent ocean surge, which has submerged some coastal communities in Bayelsa and Delta States.
It also urged the Federal Government to mobilise and obtain compensation from Chevron Nigeria Limited for the affected communities. The lawmakers advanced reasons for compensation on the unmitigated explosive activities of the multinational oil company in the oil producing communities in the coastal states of the Niger Delta region.
However, the Senators called on the Federal Government to put measures in place to bring about lasting solution to the problem. The measures, they insisted, must include comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to determine the effect of past earth tremors on the nation’s earth crust, and aggressive shoreline protection of coastal areas in the country.
The Senate also mandated the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief materials to the people displaced by the surge that has left agonising consequences on the affected coastal communities.
The lawmakers also appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that ecological funds should be used for ecological challenges
The resolutions were sequel to the motion sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP, Bayelsa) and 30 others, titled; “ocean surge in coastal areas and consequences for coastal dwellers”.
Leading debate on the motion, Senator Paulker drew the attention of the Senate to the devastating experience of residents of some coastal communities in Bayelsa and Delta, who were recently displaced by ocean waves, which he said submerged their communities and destroyed their livelihood.
He told the Senate that the ocean surge had killed people, wiped out communities and destroyed markets and property worth billions of naira and permanently altered their lifestyles in Koluama 1, Koluama 11, Foropa and many other communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State.
According to him, the affected communities traced the origin of their trouble to the unmitigated impact of the Chevron oil rig explosion and fire which occurred in Koluama in January 2012, which they claimed was not properly tackled.
He noted that it was such under water explosions and vibrations that triggered the 2004 Indian Ocean sunami that claimed about 290,000 lives and affected about 14 countries along the ocean coast.
Paulker pointed out that similar vibrations were responsible for the catastrophic tidal waves that hit Japan in 2011, killing tens of thousands of people, destroying homes, property and damaging Japan’s nuclear and industrial capabilities.
He raised the alarm that the Chevron’s explosion could result in similar calamity if nothing was done to mitigate the impact and other concomitant seismic implications.
Calling for caution and government’s urgent intervention, the lawmaker reminded the Red Chamber that similar unchecked ocean wave rose 15 years ago and submerged Victoria Island and Ikoyi in Lagos for many months, destroying valuables and lives.
Senator Ahmad Lawan in his contribution lamented that the Ecological Fund, which should take care of matters like these is being misappropriated
Senator Helen Esuene, Akwa Ibom South stated that the motion was timely and appropriate, saying what is being witnessed was signs of climate change as a result of global warming, which may abate.
According to her, there should be determined efforts to mitigate its effect before it deteriorates beyond the capacity which the government can handle. She noted that her bill on regulating activities in the mangrove forest was imperative and canvassed for its passage from her colleagues.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, pointed out that the major reason for setting up the Ecological Fund was to take care of such natural disasters, “but it appears that the government was not applying the fund judiciously.”
He urged the relevant agencies involved to wake up to their statutory responsibilities and rise up to the need to investigate those receive the Ecological Fund and how it is applied, while appealing to government at all levels to take interest in the coastal areas.
EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
