Group condemns oil spills, pollution in Ijaw land

Adebayo Obajemu

The Ijaw Diaspora Council has condemned incessant cases of oil spills, shootings, environmental degradation, attacks and public protests which have formed the feature of the Ijaw land.

President of the Ijaw Diaspora Council, Mondy Gold, regretted that oil exploration activities have wrecked farmlands, rivers, streams and creeks, adding that the group was worried over the developmental and environmental challenges facing the Niger Delta region.

Gold spoke at the just concluded 2022 IDC Convention in the United States, railed against
Aiteo’s OML29 oil spill incident in Nembe which he said killed millions of seabirds, acquatic mammals, sea turtles etc.

He also expressed concerns that people who live near oil and gas facilities were more likely to be exposed to contaminated groundwater and polluted air, cancer, birth abnormalities, liver damage, respiratory, cardiovascular, and other disorders.

“Oil spills in Ijaw land, shootings, terrorist attacks, and massive public protests have all jolted the Ijaw Diaspora in unprecedented ways.

He said, “Oil prospecting has wrecked the limited agricultural land surface, sea, rivers, streams, and lakes.

“In disasters like the Nembe spill, oil has moved thousands of kilometres across the sea surface, killing millions of seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles. Despite the challenges, IDC not only endured but also grew stronger than before”, he stated.