Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria

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Bonga Oil Spill Devastate IIaje Communities

Location: Ayetoro, Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo Sttae

DATELINE: JULY 31, 2014

In May 2014, representatives of 108 riverside communities in IIaje Local Government Area of Ondo State sent a Save Our Soul to the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NAMASA) in respect of the Bonga oil spill that occurred on December 20, 2011 during Shell’s routine export operation to transfer crude oil from its facility. The representatives of the IIaje communities complained they have been battling strange diseases since the oil spill which also affected their waters.

Following the SOS, ERA/FoEN carried out a visit to the areas still impacted by the Bonga incident. The visit was to find out what actions were taken by Shell after the spill. During the visit, since ERA/FoEN learnt the IIaje communities had earlier reported to the Ondo State Ministry of Environment their predicament as a result of the spill. It was learnt that the Ministry of Environment did not take any action to solve their problems. The victims spoke freely and were very bitter about Shell’s neglect. Mahin, Abereke, Ayetoro communities, all along the Ondo State coastline in IIaje Local Government Area, were visited during the field monitoring exercise.

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Press Release

Nigerian Government and Shell continue to Ignore Horrendous Pollution in Niger Delta

Abuja August 4, 2014

The systemic failure of the Nigerian government and oil giant Shell to clean up the horrendous oil pollution in the Niger Delta has been branded “shameful”by a group of Nigerian and international organisations today.

A damning report, released today by Environmental Rights Action,Friends of Earth Europe, Amnesty International, Platform and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), exposes a shocking lack of action by Shell and the Nigerian Government to clean up the widespread pollution in Ogoniland, despite recommendations made by a major UN study three years ago today [1].

The UN Environment Programme published a scientific study on the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta in 2011 [2], exposingextensive oil pollution, severe health risks for the population – including previously unacknowledged pollution of drinking water – and fundamental failures in Shell’s processes for cleaning up oil spills.

Godwin Ojo of Friends of the Earth Nigeria said:“Three years on and the government and Shell have done little more than set up processes that look like action but are just fig leaves for business as usual.The lack of meaningful action in the face of incontrovertible scientific evidence is outrageous. The Nigerian government and Shell are quite simply getting away with environmental and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta.”

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Headliners

A Joint Statement issued to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, UNHRC

Wednesday, 25th June 2014

This document was submitted to UNHRC in an attempt to seek a redress to the environmental Challenges befalling the people of the Niger Delta and to seek the help of the commission to help bring to book the main culprit transnational company, Shell since international and local advocacy as well as national regulatory agencies have not been able to compel Shell to change and respect human rights in the Niger delta, the regulatory agencies, national governments and the laws of the land.
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 not legally binding.
Read the Full Statement here

Volveremos! - Stand with us or step aside

Monday, 9th June 2014

Over the weekend at the Ongoing Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany
Dr Godwin Ojo, Executive Diretor ERA/FOEN from Nigeria and together with Shenna Sanchez originally from the Philippines - spoke on behalf of social movements, youth groups, women’s organisations, trade unions, indigenous groups, citizens networks and NGOs - from every corner of the world.

The Statement presented is here below.

Thank you Chair for the opportunity to deliver this joint intervention on behalf of the ENGO constituency and the youth constituency.

Collectively we represent millions if not hundreds of millions of global citizens.

This morning's action called for an energy transformation towards people's and community energy - a transformation that delivers renewable and clean energy for those with energy, the billions without access to energy as well as generating millions of new green jobs.

We had hoped to leave a small windmill for each delegation as a gift and a visual example of our demands. Please take one from the stand outside. If you find you can’t get your hand on one - do please check our website www.volveremos.org or it's also on the small yellow windmills on your desks.

“International Anti-Chevron Day”

Wednesday, 14th May 2014

“International Anti-Chevron Day”

May 21 has been set aside as “International Anti-Chevron Day", to be marked worldwide particularly in Nigeria, Ecuador, Argentina, Romania and the United States where Chevron’s operations have inflicted pain on locals, even as the company evades liability.
In Nigeria’s Niger Delta Chevron operations has devastated farmlands, forests and water bodies and resulting in human rights violations. On the 16th of January 2012 several massive explosions occurred at the Apoi North Gas wellhead belonging to Chevron. Pollutants and other toxic chemicals from the rig which is located at about 120 nautical miles off the Atlantic ocean bordering several communities led to massive environmental degradation and dislocation of communities. It resulted in the death and destruction of fishes and other aquatic life and ruined the local livelihoods of the typical fishing communities of Koluama 1 and 2, Ekeni, Ezetu, Foropa and Ekebiri in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Others are Fish town and around Akassa in Brass LGA and several other coastal communities. Chevron's oil extraction activities in the Niger delta communities is leading to environmental degradation and pollution of rivers and farmlands from frequent oil spills and gas flaring and resulting in the destruction of farming and fishing livelihood sources.

ERA/CISLAC Name Recipients of Inaugural Tobacco Control Journalism Fellowship

Wednesday, 30th October 2013

Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) have announced the names of six successful journalists in the inaugural Tobacco Control Investigative Journalism Fellowship funded by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).

The Fellowship grant is part of CTFK’s efforts to build the capacity of the Nigerian media to report tobacco control from an informed perspective and stimulate policies and actions to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll. The Fellowship is also aimed at building and improving the public’s awareness on tobacco control and its related issues.

In a statement issued jointly in Lagos, the two groups said that entries from the successful journalists were picked after a rigorous screening process by a panel of veteran journalists.

Stalled Bodo Compensation Talks Exposed Shell’s Insincerity, says ERA/FoEN

Monday, 16th September 2013

Stalled Bodo Compensation Talks Exposed Shell’s Insincerity, says ERA/FoEN
The mired settlement talks between the Bodo community and Shell over the latter’s pollution of their environment in 2008 has vindicated community folks and environmental groups that expressed skepticism about Shell’s genuineness from the beginning when it was announced that the talks will hold behind closed doors, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has said.
ERA/FoEN position is premised on the outright rejection of an offer of $50 million (about N7. 5 billion) compensation offered by Shell after week-long talks, which Leigh Day, the legal firm representing 15,000 affected Bodo community folks described as “delusory and an insult”. The community folks insist Shell must pay $200 million.

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Oil Politics

Oil Politics is a weekly newspaper column (www.234NEXT.com) in which Nnimmo Bassey rigorously examines issues relating to the extractive industries as well as other pressing socio-economic issues through the filter of justice.

What is on that Plate?

The theme of the World Environment Day 2013 is “Think. Eat. Save”. Each word is loaded and stands alone, separated by unambiguous periods. That should get us thinking indeed. Many people in the world do not really think before eating. They are more preoccupied by the nagging question of where the next meal would come from. There are also a number of persons whose questions pertain to what to eat out of the myriad of choices on their sumptuous dining tables. And, of course, there are people to whom saving food is not a problem while to yet others there is simply no choice in doing that. There are others who wish to save but cannot do so either due to a lack of means to do so, or for the reason of current insufficiencies.

There is a lot of food for thought in just considering the theme.