Bayelsa Most Polluted State in Nigeria, Says Environmentalist, Nnimmo Bassey

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa 

Environmental activist and executive Director and founder of the Health of Mother Earth (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, has revealed that Bayelsa is the most polluted state in Nigeria, regarding hydrocarbon extraction related to crude oil and gas extractions.

Bassey, a renowned environmentalist stated this during a one-day capacity building and sharing with Nembe people, at the Nembe City Hall, Nembe Local Government of Bayelsa State.

According to him, Bayelsa State is one of the most polluted state in Nigeria and the most polluted places in the world because there is a per capital of oil pollution of 1.5 barrel of crude oil, as recorded by the Bayelsa State Oil And Environment Commission Reports that was published in May 2023.

“Another one is the evidence conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Ogoni land, those are routine treated by oil companies, they never really cleaned up anything, so anytime they turn the soil or bought grease try to cover the soil or they do flimsy job, because they don’t care about the environment and the people.

“The environmental assessment of Ogoni land was commissioned by the federal government of Nigeria in 2006 and carried out by the UNEP, to determine the scale, impact and long-term consequences of oil pollution in Ogoni land, in River State, Niger Delta.

“The assessment, conducted between 2009 and 2011, represents one of the most comprehensive environmental studies ever undertaken in oil-producing region.

“The investigation involved extensive scientific fieldwork across the Ogoni four local government areas namely Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, combined with laboratory analysis and community consultations,” he said.

He urged oil firms to stop the deliberate systematic destruction of the Niger Delta region, noting that the region had been treated as a sacrificial zone since the early 1950s up until now.

Bassey lamented the extreme negative impacts of oil and gas extraction as well as the massive deforestation and various kinds of erosion of both the land and coastlines.

He noted that while the use of environmental genocide as the title of the report was unarguably weighty, the matter should not be treated with levity.

On his part, the Head of Administration, Nembe LGA, Mr. Godson Jim-Dorgu, said Nembe has been negatively affected by oil spills and other atrocities caused by oil companies.

He said that most of their fish and farm produce has been affected badly, bringing about more hardship to the people of Nembe, which are one of the most heat by oil spills.

Jim-Dorgu, called on the federal government and the oil firms to start remediation of the environment that has been destroyed by activities oil of companies operating in the area.

He stated that since the oil spill in Santa Barbara, that lasted for about six weeks in May 2023, there has not been clean up of the affected area, which has affected aquatic lives.

On his part, Chief Jude Pulemote, Director Primary HealthCare, Nembe LGA, said that the oil exploration in Nembe has brought a lot of health issues to the rural people.

He said most of the pregnant women in Nembe are having shortage of blood, because their livelihood has been negatively impacted on the host communities and nothing to show for it rather than divide and rule system.

Pulemote, call on the federal and state governments to ensure that the right thing is done in Nembe, because they are one of the most affected by oil exploration exploitation, in the niger delta region.